
liAB QI7IS of W K I , f , .[ N < i T ON 



Published bv Van ir,„kUbL Ml, 



THE 



LIFE 



THE MOST NOBLE ARTHUR, 

1 

\ MARQUIS ANB EARIL OF WELLINGTON, 



WELLESLEY", ALL IN THE COUNTr OF SOMERSET, K. B. 

LIEUTENANT GENERAL ; MARSHAL GENERAL OF THE PORTUGUESE, ANV 
CAPTAIN GENERAL OF THE SPANISH ARMIES ; 

COMMANDER I.N CHIEF OF HIS BRITANNIC MAJESTY'S FORCES IN THE PENINSULA; ALSO, 
BD1CE OF CIUDAD EODRIGO, K. C. S. Sic. Sic. 



T.HE FIRST PART 
BY FRANCIS L. CLARKE. 

THE SECONP PART, 

,'ROM THE ATTACK ON THE CASTLE OF BURGOS TO THE TAKING OF B0RDE41X. 

BY WILLIAM DUNLAP. 



JVEW-YORK. 

Printed and Published by Van Winkle and Wiley, 

Corner of Wall and New-streets. 



3814. 



^ 






MnJ 



A ' k 



%\ 



District of fttw-York, $s. 

BE IT REMEMBERED, that on the twenty fourth day of May in the thirty 
l. s. eighth year of the independence of the United States of America, Van Win- 
kle and Wiley of the said District, have deposited in this Office the title of a 
Book the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words following, to wit : 

"The Life of the Most Noble Arthur. Marquis and Earl of Wellington, Viscount Wel- 
"lingtou, of Talavera and of Wellington, am! Baron Douro of Wellesley, all in the County 
" of Somerset, K- fi.; LieutenantGpneral ; Marshal General of the Portueuese, and Captain 
"General of the Spanish armies: Commander in chief of his Britannic Majesty's forces in 
" the Pciinsula: al=o Duke of Cimlad Rodrigo, K C. S hi:, kc. The first part by Krancis 
" L, Clarke. The second part, from the attack on the castle of Burgos to the taking of 
" Bordeaux, by William Dunlap " 

In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, " An Act for the 
encouragement of Learning, by serurin? the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books to the Au- 
thors and Proprietors, of such copies during the time therein mentioned " And also to an 
Act. entitled, " An Act, supplementary to an A<-t, entitled. An Act for the encourage- 
ment of Learning, by seeming the copies of Map., Chart', and Hooks to the Authors and 
Proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits 
thersofto the arts of designing, e::graving, and etching historical and other Prints." 

THEROM RUDD, 
Clerk of the District Court for the District of Jfew-York. 



/<? Aff& 



PREFACE. 

■ 



THERE never was a question in politics, perhaps, in 
which there has been a greater, a more extreme difference, 
than on that of the war in the Peninsula ; and it is not less 
worthy of notice, that, perhaps, there never was a greater 
degree of unanimity of approval than at present upon this 
very question. 

When all Spain rose, as it were by a miracle, (for the 
effect was simultaneous, and without combination,) in oppo- 
sition to the insidious thraldrom of France, her exertions 
were looked on by many in this country with coldness, and 
even apathy. It was supposed impossible for a degraded, 
and almost enslaved, population to resist, even for a moment, 
the military power and political machinations of him who 
had conquered more than half of the civilised world. All 
feared her eventual success, and some prognosticated, with 
the most determined assertions, her eternal subjugation* 
Yet, in the space of a few short years, how changed is the 
scene ! — so changed, that even our most desponding states- 
men venture to look forward to her restoration to her ancient 



rank among the kingdoms of Europe, and to her assuming 
that rank accompanied with feelings of esteem and gratitude 
to Britain ; feelings which, in future political connexions, 
may ultimately tend highly both to the political welfare and 
internal comfort of each country. To what, then, has this 
wonderful, this extraordinary change been owing? To 
what, indeed, but to the liberal and friendly assistance of 
this country ; — to the gallantry of our troops, and to the 
consummate skill and approved valour of him who has so 
frequently led them on to glory ! During the whole progress 
of this arduous, this almost unequalled contest, the gallant 
Wellington has unequivocally afforded grounds for the 
highest honours that his sovereign could shower down upon 
him, or his grateful country could bestow. He has, by his ex- 
ample, given spirit and enthusiasm, not only to his own 
troops, but to those of the sister kingdoms of the Penin- 
sula. By his consummate skill, indefatigable exertions, 
and excellent judgment, he has foiled the best generals of 
France, overcome difficidties considered insuperable, and 
directed the exertions of Britain, and the force of her un- 
fortunate allies, to those points where, in all cases, they 
were most available. 

By his steadiness, and his Fabius movements, he has 
preserved his own strength unbroken, whilst that of his 
enemy was on the decline, and enabled the scattered bands 
of patriots to acquire both discipline and numbers, and 
thus to produce a hardy race of soldiers, who, as guerillas, 
have learned to despise French courage, and to counteract 
5 



even French discipline. At the same timet ty the well- 
timed rapidity of his manoeuvres, when necessary, as well 
as by their secrecy and determined purposes, he has beat all 
the calculations of the enemy, according even to their own 
confessions ; a proof of which, if proof were wanting, 
would be found in the fact of his having taken Ciudad 
Rodrigo in half the time which the French general had 
considered possible ; and this, by its capture, connected 
with that of Almeida, always a military post of import- 
ance, not only formed a powerful defence for Portugal, but 
opened a way into the very heart of Spain. 

This latter excellence of rapidity and determination was, 
indeed, always e?:pected by his friends ; and we shall have 
occasion to see, in the progress of this biography, particu- 
larly in detailing his brilliancy of thought at the glorious 
battle of Assy e, on the plains of Hindoostctn, that their ex- 
pectations were well founded ; but the steadiness of his 
other operations, the self-denial with which he has delayed to 
pluck the laurels which victory held out to him with open 
hand, are traits in his character which might have been con- 
sidered as unlikely to appear, and that without derogating 
from the high character which he had acquired previous to 
his present distinguished rank in the Peninsida. 

But it is to this latter part of his character that much of 
the success of the present contest has been owing ; and it is 
entirely owing to it that he has been enabled to overcome 
the various difficidlies he had to encounter, as opposed to 
the almost overwhelming power of France, commanded by 



VI PREFACE. 

her best generals, with a force of British troops, even now 
little more than half the number of French concentrated in 
any one spot. For, much as the Spanish and Portuguese 
troops have of lale improved in discipline, and much as 
might have, even at first, been expected from their native 
courage, yet Lord Wellington coidd not trust the safety of 
his army, or the ultimate success of the cause, to an abso- 
lute dependence on their almost untried exertions; he has, 
nevertheless, known how to avail himself even of their inef- 
ficient state with a degree of judgment and spirit happily 
justified by the event. 

We must now close this slight sketch of the subject, with 
one observation on the character of our gallant fellow citi- 
zen. If we look at him, as will be exemplified in the course 
of this work, whether commanding, or commanded, we shall 
always find the' same greatness of mind, whether checked in 
his pursuit in the moment of victory, as at Vimiera, by the 
orders of a superior ; or prompted to delay the accomplish- 
ment of brilliant measures, where victory was certain, in 
order to spare the blood oj his gallant comrades in arms. 




INTRODUCTION. 



IF it is by experience that we gain wisdom, and by 
a comparison of nearly similar events that we can best 
form an accurate judgment, it will not be irrelevant, 
in our introductory part, to take a slight sketch of 
the causes and conduct of a former war carried on by 
Great Britain in the Peninsula ; and that, by a very 
curious coincidence, nearly in the very corresponding 
years of the preceding century. In the conduct and 
issue of that war, and in the conduct and probable 
issue of the present one, there has, indeed, been a 
great contrast ; for there we were merely as auxilia- 
ries, though now we have acted more immediately as 
principals. At that period, too, we were in opposition 
to that branch of the house of Bourbon whose rights 
we are now defending ; and in our objects we were 
unsuccessful, though without tarnishing the honour 
of the British name. 

When, in the year 1701, Charles II. of Spain, a 



Vlll INTRODUCTION. 

branch of the house of Austria, deceased without 
issue, Philip Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis 
XIV. being second son of the Dauphin of France, 
assumed the Spanish crown, according to the will of 
the deceased monarch ; but the Emperor of Ger- 
many having put up one of his own family as a claim- 
ant, it was considered as the interest of Great Britain 
to support him, in order to prevent the accession o£ 
such power to France, by her royal family thus com- 
ing into possession of the immense possessions and 
resources of the Spanish empire. There was also a 
party in Spain inimical to the French interest ; aud it 
was hoped that, by spirited measures, an Austrian 
prince might be established on the throne of Spain. 

Charles III. the Austrian claimant arrived in En- 
gland in 1703 ; and, in 1704, an auxiliary force of 
12,000 British and Dutch troops was sent to Portu- 
gal ; the English under Duke Schomberg, and the 
Dutch under General Fagel. King Charles imme- 
diately published a manifesto, setting forth his right 
to the crown of Spain ; and on the arrival of the ex- 
pedition at Lisbon, the Portuguese having already 
joined the grand alliance against France, the King of 
Portugal published a declaration in which he vindi- 
cated the claim of Charles, and gave his own rea- 
sons for taking up arms in his defence and support. 



INTRODUCTION. IX 

The Bourbon prince, under the title of Philip V. was 
not backward in preparing for hostilities, but imme- 
diately declared war against his competitor, and also 
against the King of Portugal and his other allies ; and, 
having hastily assembled an army, proceeded to the 
Portuguese frontier, when he captured Segura, Sal- 
vatierra, and some other places. 

It being understood that the Catalonians were par- 
tial to the cause of the allies, Sir George Rooke, with 
a British squadron, proceeded with the Prince of 
Hesse Darmstadt and a force of 2,500 men to Bar- 
. eelona, where he landed the troops ; but being disap- 
pointed in his expectations of a flattering reception 
and cooperation, the army was again embarked, and 
the squadron proceeded towards Toulon. 

In June of the same year, (1704,) the Portuguese 
were found to be very dilatory in furnishing the pro- 
per supplies which they had promised, so that no- 
thing could be done. There was also a great want of 
cordiality amongst the generals of the three nations, 
English, Dutch, and Portuguese, so that the Duke of 
Schomberg, weary of his command, was anxious to be 
recalled, and was superseded by Henry de Ruvigny, 
Earl of Galway. 

The Spanish monarch in July put an end to his 
short campaign, on account of the heat of the wea- 
[2] 



X INTRODUCTION. 

ther, and returned to Madrid, having put his army in 
cantonments ; and, fearing that it would be impossible 
to retain his petty conquests, destroyed all their forti- 
fications, except those of Salvatierra and Mervan, and 
abandoned them to their fate. 

Though our troops were thus left in idleness, yet 
our admiral was determined to do something ; ac- 
cordingly he returned from Toulon towards Gibral- 
tar, and captured that fortress on the 10th of July, 
after a siege of three days, having landed the Prince of 
Hesse with only 1,800 men. On the 13th of August the 
combined English and Dutch fleets defeated the united 
French squadrons fromToulon and Brest, and obliged 
them, in a most shattered condition, to retire to Tou- 
lon ; a part of them, however, was enabled soon after 
to proceed to the southward when the combined 
squadrons had left the straits, and the Sieur de Pontis, 
with a considerable force, blockaded Gibraltar by sea, 
the Spaniards having commenced the siege of it in 
September. 

In 1705 Gibraltar was relieved by Sir John Leake, 
who surprised and defeated the French squadron ; 
and in May, the Portuguese and confederate forces, 
having commenced the siege of Alcantara, took it by 
storm after six days ; Salvatierra and Albuquerque 
being soon after retaken. In the same month the Earl 



INTRODUCTION. Xt 

©f Peterborough was sent from England, with 5,000 
additional troops, in a fleet commanded by Sir Clou- 

desley Shovel. After touching at Lisbon, where King 
Charles embarked along with him, they proceeded to 
Gibraltar, and afterwards to Altea Bay, where a mani- 
festo was published ; and the advices from Barcelona 
being very encouraging, the earl was induced to pro- 
ceed there, where he landed the troops, accompanied 
by the king, and was soon reinforced by great num- 
bers of Spaniards. On the 3d of September Mon- 
juick was taken after a siege of three days, but the 
gallant Prince of Hesse fell in the attack ; in three 
weeks afterwards Barcelona surrendered, and all Ca- 
talonia immediately declared for King Charles. 

On the opposite side of Spain the allies had laid siege 
to Badajoz, but were obliged soon after to raise it by 
the Marshal du Thesse, the French general in com- 
mand of the combined French and Spanish army ; 
and, in the contest, the Earl of Galway lost his right 
hand. 

The proceedings in Catalonia were, however, con- 
sidered so important for the general cause, that both 
houses of parliament at home were induced to con- 
gratulate her majesty upon her message informing 
them of these events, in November, 1705. But the 



Sill INTRODUCTION. 

progress of the allies on the eastern side was still 
circumscribed, little remarkable happening until the 
latter end of December, when a Catalonian colonel, 
of the name of Nebot, was induced to leave the op- 
posite party, with about 960 cavalry, and. to join 
King Charles at Denia, in Valencia, who soon after 
captured Xabea, a small place in that vicinity, which 
slight successes seem to have induced the whole 
kingdom of Valencia to declare in his favour, when 
his new friend, Colonel Nebot, took possession of its 
capital. 

At the close of the year the French and Spanish ar- 
mies proceeded to besiege Valencia ; but the Earl of 
Peterborough having marched with the English army 
to its relief, this plan was given up, and an attack was 
made upon St. Mattheo ; but Peterborough not only 
obliged them to decamp, but also took possession of 
Morviedro. 

In the early part of 1706 a. battle of some impor- 
tance for the numbers engaged, but of little in its 
consequences to either party, took place at San Este- 
van de Libera, after which the Spanish and French 
troops, under du Thesse, commenced the siege of 
Barcelona; which was, however, so 'speedily raised, 
on the arrival of Sir John Leake from Lisbon to its 

3 



INTRODUCTION. Xlll 

relief, that the assailants left behind them 106 brass 
guns, 23 mortars, and an immense quantity of pro- 
visions and ammunition. On the opposite side of 
the kingdom the allies took Alcantara, in which they 
found 47 pieces of brass cannon ; and Moraliza and 
Coria having soon after fallen, the Earl of Galway 
published a manifesto in the name of his royal mis- 
tress, calling upon the Spaniards to acknowledge 
King Charles as their lawful monarch. 

In May, in the same year, Ciudad Rodrigo was 
captured by the allies, after a siege of five days ; and 
the news of the raising of the siege of Barcelona 
having just then arrived, the Portuguese were in high 
spirits, and the allies proceeded to push through Spain 
for Madrid, where King Philip returned with all pos- 
sible expedition ; but, soon finding that he had no 
troops on whom he could depend, he destroyed every 
thing of value which he could not carry off, and re- 
tired towards Burgos in order to be ready for a retreat 
into France. 

On the 26th of May Carthagena declared for the 
Austrian claimant, and was secured by an English 
squadron; and in June the English and Portuguese 
confederate army, commanded by the Earl of Gal- 
way and the Marquis des Minas, pushed on for Ma- 



XIV INTRODUCTION. 

clrid, which made such an impression upon the inhabi- 
tants, that deputies were sent out to acknowledge their 
submission and allegiance to their new monarch. On 
taking possession of the capital King Charles was 
proclaimed, and the example of the inhabitants of 
Madrid was voluntarily followed by Toledo, and 
several other places of importance, inclusive of the 
whole kingdom of Arragon. Charles, however, was 
still with the English army at Barcelona, and is ac- 
cused of want of celerity in staying too long there, 
notwithstanding the repeated solicitations of the Earl of 
Peterborough, and the invitations of the generals in 
the capital, who were all anxious that he should repair 
to Madrid. But even when he set out for that place 
he occupied so much time in the siege of Saragossa, 
that the confederate forces, for some reason never suf- 
ficiently explained, had evacuated Madrid, whither 
King Philip soon after proceeded with a few forces, 
having had time to recover from his alarm at the forme* 
rapidity of movement on the part of his assailants. 

In Valencia the war was still carried on with some 
briskness; and, in July, Sir John Leake proceeded 
with the English fleet before Alicant, which was im- 
mediately afterwards taken by storm, though the cas- 
tle held out for a short time; but at length surrender- 



INTRODUCTION. XV 

cd upon an honourable capitulation. This, however, 
was but of little importance to the cause of Charles ; for 
the return of Philip to Madrid had such an effect, as to 
induce the kingdom of Castile to declare for him. 

King Charles was, therefore, compelled to join the 
confederate army at Guadalaxara; and this he was 
the sooner reduced to, as the Earl of Peterborough, 
who had just then received the commission of an 
ambassador extraordinary, was leaving the eastern 
coast of Spain, in order to proceed for Italy, in hopes 
of raising some supplies. Soon after Sir John 
Leake arrived at Majorca with the British fleet, and 
obliged that island and Ivica to declare for King 
Charles; but this was shortly counterbalanced by the 
recapture of Carthagena ; and the year was closed 
with the death of Pedro, King of Portugal. 

The year 1707 was a most unfortunate one for the 
confederate arms ; for, on the 5th of April, they were 
completely defeated at Almanza, whilst under the 
command of the Marquis des Minas and the Earl 
of Galway, having upwards of 10,000 men killed, 
wounded and taken prisoners. The whole number 
of British in the action were only 14,000 ; yet it is 
believed that it was entirely owing to the ill conduct 
of the Portuguese that the day was lost. So strong 



<\V1 INTRODUCTION. 

indeed wa3 this opinion, that the house oflords short- 
ly after severely censured the Earl of Galway for 
having yielded the post of honour on that day to the 
Portuguese. It was also matter of complaint at 
home that the number of British troops was so small, 
although 29,000 had been voted by parliament for the 
service of the Peninsula. 

The shattered remains of the confederate army 
were, notwithstanding their defeat, able to retire in 
pretty good order to Alcira, from whence they sent 
their wounded to Barcelona, and then crossed the 
Ebro, where King Charles had retired some time be- 
fore with a small force, and was stationed at Tortosa 
at the mouth of that river. This movement they 
were now obliged to make, in order to defend Cata- 
lonia. 

The victorious army, pursuing their advantage, 
and being no longer kept in check by the confede- 
rates, soon recovered Valencia, Saragossa, &c. but 
Philip lost much of his popularity by the atrocious 
conduct of France, in ordering the unfortunate town 
of Xativa, on the right bank of the river Xucer, in 
Valencia, to be utterly burnt and destroyed, and in 
depriving both Arragon and Valencia of some of 
their most ancient privileges. In July the party of 



INTRODUCTION. XVU 

King Charles was so strong in Italy, that he was pro- 
claimed King at Naples ; but his cause began to de- 
cline rapidly in Spain, fresh forces having arrived 
from France, under the command of the Duke of 
Orleans, who invested and took Limosa, a strong and 
well fortified town in Catalonia, under the observance 
of the confederate army ; yet to counterbalance this 
in some degree, the Imperialists, under Count Thaun 
in Italy, captured Gaeta by storm, where they laid 
hold of all the partisans of King Philip in that coun- 
try, and were thus enabled to secure Naples for King- 
Charles. 

So great was the discontent at home at this period, 
respecting the conduct and issue of the war, that very 
strong debates were held in both houses; yet nobody 
thought of giving up the cause, but each body of the 
legislature came forward with an address to Queen 
Anne, stating their opinion that no peace could be safe 
or honourable for the country, or for our allies, which 
would secure Spain and her colonies to the power of 
France. They also requested her to call on the em- 
peror to send some additional and powerful reinforce- 
ments into Spain, under the command of Prince Eu- 
gene, (the Wellington of that day,) but the emperor 
[3] 



SV1H INTRODUCTION. 

appears almost to have neglected this remonstrance 
from our court, as he merely sent a few troops under 
Count Stahremberg. 

It is also a curious fact, that the house of commons, 
after a long and close examination, addressed her ma- 
jesty complaining that there were then only 8,660 Bri- 
tish troops in the Peninsula, instead of 30,000, the 
number voted ; to which the answer was, that nearly 
the whole number voted had been sent, but were now 
thus reduced inconsequence of death and desertion. 

About the middle of 1708, after a long interval of 
quiet, the French captured Tortosa on the left bank 
of the Ebro ; an advantage counterbalanced by our 
conquest of Minorca on the 19th of August by Sir 
John Leake, and Major General Stanhope, with only 
3,264 men ; and, in November, Denia and Alicant 
again fell under the French arms. 

The siege of Alicant having been undertaken by 
the French, and conducted mostly as a blockade for 
three months, they contrived at last to form a mine 
under the rock on which the castle stands, which 
being partly blown up, the governor and several 
valuable officers lost their lives ; yet the castle held 
»ut nearly two months longer, and was only forced 



INTRODUCTION. XIX 

to surrender, but on honourable terms, after a siege 
conducted with great exertion. 

On the 27th of April another unfortunate defeat 
of the confederate troops took place on the banks of 
the river Caya, after which the Earl of Galway 
escaped with great difficulty ; but the Earl of Barry - 
more, Major General Sankey, Brigadier Pearce, and 
two whole brigades, were made prisoners of war. 

Some negotiations about this time had taken place, 
by which it was stipulated that Charles III. should be 
acknowledged as the lawful Spanish monarch, and 
that the French army should evacuate that kingdom ; 
but Lewis XIV. after amusing himself with the cre- 
dulity of the allies, laughed at the treaty, and most 
shamefully evaded its signature, so that the war was 
recommenced, when Count Stahremberg, the impe- 
rial general, was lucky enough to capture fort Balla- 
guer, on the banks of Rio Segre, in Catalonia, a 
strong post with a garrison of 700 men. 

The French ministry, in 1710, in order to amuse 
the allies, and to gain time, again made some pacific 
proposals, in which they offered to consent to a parti- 
tion of Spain ; but in this the allies knew them to 
be insincere; nor would they themselves, indeed, 
have agreed to it ; and, notwithstanding the Gallic 



XX INTRODUCTION. 

machinations, the tide of success began to turn in 
favour of King Charles, whose army, commanded by 
General Stanhope, (ancestor of the present Earl Stan- 
hope,) defeated King Philip at Almanera, in Cata- 
lonia, on the 16th of July, when the French, having 
lost about 1,500 in killed and wounded, were obliged 
to retire to Lerida ; but, being closely pursued by 
the confederates, fell back upon Saragossa. On the 
10th of the ensuing month, August, King Charles 
being then with the army, another brilliant victory 
was obtained over King Philip near Saragossa, which 
city immediately opened its gates to the conquerors ; 
and so powerful did Charles then feel himself in Cas- 
tile, that he immediately superseded the form of go- 
vernment established by Philip, restored the ancient 
rights of the Castilians, and reinstated their former 
magistrates. Indeed, the French power was at this 
juncture so w-eakened, that Philip, not feeling him- 
self safe at Madrid, retired to Valladolid ; and the 
confederates marching towards the capital, General 
Stanhope advanced with the cavalry, and took pos- 
session of it on the 10th September, 1710. 

About a fortnight afterwards Charles made his ap- 
pearance in his capital ; but soon found that the in- 
habitants were more attached to his rival than to him- 



INTRODUCTION. XXI 

self: he soon left it, therefore, and placed his troops 
in quarters to the southward of it, and in the vicinity 
of Toledo, in full confidence that, notwithstanding 
the disaffection of the capital, he might still be 
enabled to spend the winter thus in the very heart of 
Spain by the aid of the Portuguese ; but they having 
disappointed him, and King Philip again collecting 
some forces, he was obliged to retire into Arragon, 
where, in the succeeding November, Major General 
Stanhope, with a British force of 2,000 men at Bri- 
huega, was surprised and made prisoner of war, by 
the unexpected junction of the French and Spanish 
armies. 

The imperial general, Count Stahremberg, hear* 
ing of his danger, marched immediately to his relief, 
but was too late to prevent the disaster ; he was for- 
tunate enough, however, to fall in with the enemy 
under King Philip and the Duke of Vendosme, 
about one league from Brihuega, when he brought 
them to action at Villaviciosa, and defeated them, 
although their forces amounted to 25,000 men. After 
this Stahremberg advanced to Saragossa; but, for 
some reason never explained, soon retired into Cata- 
lonia, thereby enabling Philip to return to Madrid, 
where the inhabitants received him with open arms ; 



XXU INTRODUCTION. 

and, on the 16th December, Gerona, the key of Ca- 
talonia, was permitted to fall into the hands of the 
French army, after a gallant resistance of six weeks, 
so that Charles was obliged to retire to Barcelona. 

This disastrous and unexpected turn of the cam- 
paign naturally produced a great sensation at home : 
and in the commencement of 1711, the house of 
lords having entered into an inquiry on the cause of 
our losses, Lord Peterborough succeeded in throw- 
ing the blame upon the Earl of Galway, whilst he 
himself received public thanks. Instead, however, of 
sending him out again to Spain, he was appointed 
plenipotentiary to the Austrian court, and the Duke 
of Argyle was intrusted with the high commissions 
of ambassador extraordinary, and plenipotentiary, and 
of commander in chief in Spain, These proceedings 
were followed up by a vote of the upper house, that the 
Earl of Galway, in yielding up the post of honour to 
the Portuguese at the battle of Almanza, had acted 
contrary to the honour of the imperial crown of 
Great Britain. 

In Spain affairs began to take a more disastrous 
turn ; for in August, the Portuguese having entered 
into a separate negotiation with King Philip and the 
French court, King Charles found it necessary in the 
ensuing month to embark at Barcelona for Italy. On 



INTRODUCTION. XX111 

his arrival in Italy, he was elected King of the Ro- 
mans, and Emperor of Germany; and, on being 
crowned at Frankfort on the 11th of December, 1711, 
seems to have given up all further thoughts of the 
Spanish crown. In order to do away some of the 
objections to his establishment on the throne of Spain, 
King Philip, now settled at Madrid, published his re- 
nunciation of all claims to the succession of France ; 
and in September of the same year, Lord Lexington, 
having proceeded to Madrid to receive the fore-men- 
tioned renunciation, the English forces, then in Ca-« 
talonia, commanded by Brigadier Pearce, were em- 
barked on board the squadron under the orders of 
Sir John Jennings, who immediately proceeded for 
Minorca, where the colours of King Charles were 
haled down, and those of the English substituted in 
their stead. • • 

On the 5th of November the act of renunciation 
took place in the presence of the English ambassador, 
and was registered by the Cortes, and from that period 
we may consfcler the war at an end. 

To draw a parallel between those events and the 
transactions of a later date would here be premature ; 
but we shall have occasion to notice them more fully, 
and shall now proceed to the principal design of the 
work. 



\ 



\ 



LIFE 

OF THE MOST NOBLE 

MARaUIS WELLINGTON. 

SECTION I. 

Preliminary observation— Ancient respectability of tlie family of Collcy, 
now Wellesley— Birth— Military education— Progress to the rank of field 
officer — First military embarkation for Brittany — Observations — Joins the 
army in Flanders — Capture of Tournay, and anecdotes — Evacuation of 
Ostend — Judicious conduct of the Earl of Moira — Affair at Alost — Anec- 
dotes of General Doyle — Conduct of the French army— Invasion of Hol- 
land—Military anecdotes — Gallant affair at Boxtel — Meritorious conduct 
of the Governor of Grave— Attack of the Waal — Gallant attack of the 
Tuyl— Retreat through Holland — Conduct of the Dutch — Affair at Met- 
teren, and gallant behaviour of the 33d regiment — Dreadful sufferings of 
the army— Exemplary conduct of his royal highness the Duke of York 
—Evacuation of Holland — Embarkation at Bremen — Return to England 

IF example is more poAverful than precept, no apology can be 
necessary for a minute detail of great and virtuous actions; and 
there is perhaps no mode more generally useful and efficacious 
tor the preservation and extension of that example, than in record- 
ing the biography of the great and good. 

Though the personal worth of the Marquis of Wellington is 
alone sufficient to give splendour to nobility; yet the natural 
curiosity respecting the origin and family antiquity of such a 
man induces us to take a slight sketch of his ancestors, who were 
originally English, being settled in the county of Rutland for 
time immemorial, under the appellation of Cowley, Cooley, 01 
Collcy* as is now the modern mode of writing it. 

* In Glaiston church, Rutlandshire, there is a monument of Walter Oolley, 
Esq. and Agnes his wife. He was lord of the manor in H n ~. 
4 



26 

Id the reign of Henry VIII. when many gentlemen of family 
were induced, by royal grants, to emigrate to Ireland, two bro- 
thers of this family, Walter and Robert Cowley, established 
themselves at Kilkenny, and were presented by the king, in his 
22d year, with a grant of the office of clerk of the crown in 
chancery, for and during their lives respectively. 

It is evident that both brothers had been brought up to the bar ; 
for the younger became master of- the rolls, aod the eldest, 
Walter, ancestor of the present family, was appointed solicitor- 
general of Ireland in 1537; but having surrendered that office 
in 1516, he was two years afterwards raised to that of surveyor- 
general of that kingdom. 

His eldest son, Sir Henry Colley, appears to have dedicated 
himself to the profession of arms ; for he held a commission front 
Q,ueeu Elizabeth of captain in the army, from whom he also re- 
ceived a warrant, in 1559, to execute martial law in the districts 
of Offaley, Carbury, &c. His conduct in this important com- 
mission was so satisfactory, that he was soon after appointed a 
commissioner of array for the county of Kildare ; and cjhosen 
representative for the 'borough of Thomastown in the couDty of 
Kilkenny in the parliament of that year. He was likeAvise 
>nighted by Sir Henry Sidney, the lord deputy, and appointed 
a member of the privy council. 

This able statesman, by his Lady Catherine, who w as a daughter 
of Sir Thomas Cusack of Cussington, in the county of Meath, 
Lord Chancellor of Ireland, had three sons, of whom the second, 
Sir Henry, of Castle Carbury, was the immediate ancestor of the 
present line. During his father's lifetime, aDd in the reign of 
Q,ueen Elizabeth, he was constable of Philipstown Fort,j after- 
wards seneschal of the king's county; and, in J 561, appointed 
by the Earl of Sussex, the lord deputy, providore of the army, 
similar to the modern office of commissary-general. 

He married Anne, daughter of his grace, Adam Loftus, Arch- 
bishop of Dublin, and his eldest son, Sir Henri/ Colley, succeeded 
him at Castle Carbury, of whom we only find it recorded that 
he married Anne, daughter and co-heiress of Christopher Pey- 
ton, Esq. auditor-general of Ireland; and his eldest son, Dudley 



27 

Collcy, of Castle Carbury, Esq. having distinguished himself 
much in the royal cause, was appointed an officer in the army by 
King Charles II. soon after the Restoration, and had also a grant 
and confirmation of the lands of Ardkill and ColliQgstown in Kil- 
dare. He was also a member of parliament for Philipstown. 
This Dudley married Anne, daughter of Henry Warren of 
Grangebeg, in the county of Kildare, Esq. and had a numerous 
family by her, of whom Henry was his successor ; and a daugh- 
ter Elizabeth married Garret Wellesley (or Wesley) of Dangan, 
in the county of Meath, Esq. a family of ancient Saxon extraction, 
being settled in the county of Sussex. 

This Henry Col ley, Esq. by his marriage with Mary, only 
daughter of Sir . William Usher, of Dublin, tnt. left a numerous 
family : and his youngest son, Richard Collcy, was the first who 
adopted the name of Wellesley, as heir to his first cousin, Gar- 
ret Wesley, of Dangan, who left him all his estates on conditiou 
of his taking the name aud arms of that family, all which was 
granted, and recorded in the herald's office, &c. in 1728. He 
appears to have held several offices under the crown : was au- 
ditor and registrar of the royal hospital of Kilmainham, second 
chamberlain of the court of exchequer, sheriff of the county of 
Meath in 1734, and member of parliament for the borough of 
Trim in the same year. , In consideration of his public services, 
his majesty George II. was pleased to create him a peer of Ire- 
land, by the title of Baron of Mornington, in 1 747. He married 
Elizabeth, daughter of John Sale, L. L. D. registrar of the dio- 
cess of Dublin, and representative in parliament for the borough 
ofCarysfort; and his eldest son, Garret, having succeeded him 
in his barony, was soon after, in 1 760, created Viscount Wellesley 
and Earl of Mornington, having before that held the office of 
custos mtulorum of the county of Meath. He married Anne, 
eldest daughter of the right honourable Arthur Hill, Viscount. 
Dungannon, and had issue, the present Marquis of Wellesley, 
William, now Wellesley Pole, in consequence of inheriting the 
estates of William Pole, of Ballifin, Esq. Arthur, the subject 
of.our present biography, and several other children. 

The first earl having died whilst a great part of his family were 



28 

yet ia tjieir infancy, a most important care devolved upon their 
amiable mother, whose prudent and energetic conduct overcame 
the obstacles attendant upon an impaired state of fortune, arising 
from causes which it had been impossible to counteract. It has 
been well said, that her wise and liberal economy, in conjunc- 
tion with the energies of an active and well iuformed mind, had 
supplied not only the deficiencies of fortune, but also the loss of 
a father. It must be confessed, indeed, that much of this power 
to do good on the part of Lady Mornington arose from the very 
generous and liberal conduct of the present marquis, who, with 
a magnanimity aud fraternal conduct which must always redound 
to his honour, gave up the entire management of the family estates 
to her guidance ; and, though in the heyday of youth, not only 
submitted cheerfully to those prudential restraints which her pa- 
rental care suggested, but actually paid off all his father's debts, 
out of an honourable regard to his memory. 

Arthur, the subject of our present biography, was born at 
Dangan, near Dublin, on the 1st of May, 1 769 : and at an early 
age was sent to Eton, that he might receive the benefit of a pub- 
lic education ; and, as he had chosen the army for his profession, 
he afterwards weut, at the close of the American war, to Angiers, 
in France, in order that he might acquire the theory of military 
science in that celebrated school, then under the direction of the 
much esteemed Pigjicrol, who has long beeu considered as the 
Vaubau of modern warlike architecture and engineering. 

While pursuing his studies here, he received his commission as 
ensign, the 25th December, 1787, and, at the age of twenty- 
Ihree, he bore the rank of captain in the 18th regiment of light 
dragoons, from which corps, on the 30th of April, 1 793, he was 
appointed to the majority of his present regiment, the 33d, in 
the room of Major Gore, who then resigned. 

In this junior rank of field-officer he did not long remain, but 
availed himself of his seniority to purchase in succession from 
Lieutenant Colonel Yorke, who resigned his commission in that 
regiment ; and his appointment took place on the 30th September, 
1793. 

Lieutenant Colonel Wellesley, uow scarcely four and twenty. 
1 



29 

engaged in active service under his gallant countryman the Earl 
of Moira, and early in 1794 was actually embarked with that 
force which was intended to have erected the standard of loyalty 
in Brittany ; but the fate of the Netherlands and of Flanders was 
no sooner decided by the uufortunate issue of the early part of the 
campaign of that year, under his royal highness the Duke of 
York, than his lordship was ordered to proceed with his little 
army to Ostend. 

After the surrender of Tournay, indeed on the very day on 
which the capitulation was signed, his royal highness was obliged 
to abandon his position near Oudenarde, and to retire towards 
Antwerp ; to which city he sent his sick and wounded. The 
French immediately took possession of Oudenarde, and, most for- 
tunately for themselves, were there supplied, as well as at Tour- 
nay, with large quantities both of military stores and provisions, 
for want of which they must otherwise have soon been in extreme 
distress. 

At this eventful period, the little army under the Earl of Moira 
arrived at Ostend ; and his lordship, having got intelligence of 
the perilous situation of his royal highness's forces, soon found 
it necessary to call a council of war, in which it was considered 
that it would tend more to the ultimate safety of the British army 
to proceed immediately to its relief, than to risk the chance of a 
siege, which the French would certainly undertake ; and in which 
eveu the bravest and most protracted defence of the garrison, 
whilst the French were pressing on the duke with such an im- 
posing force, would not tend in the slightest degree to make a 
diversion in his favour. 

The Earl of Moira himself and his small force had now to pro- 
ceed by land to the British head-quarters in the face of a superior 
enemy ; he had taken care, however, with the most admirable de- 
gree of military precision, to secure a communication, and to en- 
sure his junction with that part of the allied army under General 
Clairfayt ; and the rapidity of the march fortunately exposed 
nothing to chance, though the French general had orders to strike 
at the corps at all events, and had taken every preliminary 
measure for that purpose. 



30 

Though the evacuation did not take place until the 1st of Jul) 
yet Lord Moira had pushed on so fast with the main body of his 
little force, that, oo the 29th of June, he had arrived at Malle, 
only four miles from Bruges, on the way to Ghent. 

On this route he received a letter from the Duke of York, 
(which had come round by Sluys in consequence of great part of 
the country being in possession of the enemy,) desiring him to em- 
bark his whole army, and to join him at Antwerp ; but the pro- 
ceedings were too far advanced to execute this order. Soon 
after he received another pressing order to march by Sluys and 
Sas de Grand, the Bruges road appearing impracticable to his 
royal highness, and thus to join the British army more rapidly 
than the passage by sea would allow. Feeling himself completely 
now justified in his course of proceedings, this prudent and in- 
defatigable officer had, after a most tedious and difficult march, 
and encountering continual obstacles, reached the town of Alost ; 
but such had been the previous sufferings of his troops, that, from 
their leaving Ostend until their gaining that position, they were 
without baggage or tents, and exposed through all their route to 
the inclemency of a wet and unhealthy season. 

Presuming on the fatigue they had endured, and trusting to 
their consequent weariness, the French attacked them on the 6th 
of July. The piquets being driven in, they penetrated into the 
town; but, upon his lordship advancing with a reinforcement, 
the enemy retreated in coufusion. 

Though the name of Lieutenant Colonel Wellesley was not 
jmentioned particularly in this affair, we have been given to un- 
derstand that he (although his own regiment was embarked) had 
accompanied the army on their march, and commanded a cover- 
ing party in the rear, on which service he was highly instru- 
mental in the repulse of the French army upon this occasion. 

Two days after this action, on the 8th of July, Lord Moira 
effected a junction with the Duke of York. Soon after the Earl 
of Moira resigned his command, and returned to England. 

During th*- progress of the retreat of his royal highness, the 
French having passed the morass at Piel, deemed an insuperable 
barrier between the contending powers, a sudden attack was 
made upon all the posts on the right of the British army on the 



31 

14th of September, when that of Boxtel, the most advanced, was 
forced, with a loss of 1,500 of the troops of Hesse Darmstadt, 
who were completely surrounded and cut off. The possession of 
Boxtel by the enemy rendering the whole line of posts untenable, 
as it completely commanded the river Dommel, which runs im- 
mediately into the town by Fort Isabella, the commander in 
chief thought it absolutely necessary to retake it, and for thai 
purpose detached the reserve, composed of the brigade of guards, 
and 1 2th, 33d, 42d, and 44th regiments of the liae, with cavalry 
and (artillery. At daybreak on the 15th, General Abercrombie 
having reconnoitred, found the enemy so strongly posted, that he 
did not venture to risk the attack without positive orders; 
and, upon sending back to his royal highness for instructions, he 
was desired to persist in the attack, but not to proceed further 
than he thought prudent. 

In front, and inclining to the left of Abercrombie's corps, 
which had advanced through Schyndel, was a plain, skirted by a 
thick plantation of firs, in which the French had constructed se- 
veral masked batteries. The Coldstream regiment had been left 
on piquet at Erp, a village on the river Aa, between Bois Ie 
Due and Helmont. The cavalry, 1st and 3d guards, with the 
33d and 44th regiments of the line, pushed on towards the point 
of attack, the 12th and 42d remaining in reserve on and near 
Schyndel. Some French hussars showed themselves boldly on 
the level ground, as a lure to the British' cavalry ; and, retreat- 
ing before them, dispersed when they had drawn our unwarj 
squadrons within reach of their batteries, which immediately 
opening upon them, they sustained some loss before they could 
possibly fall back. General Abercrombie having little doubt, by 
this time, of the proximity of the French grand army, and con- 
ceiving he had obeyed his orders in the fullest extent, by ad- 
vancing as far as prudence would justify, determined to recall his 
troops, and to retreat within the British lines of,, encampment. 
About one hundred were killed and wounded during the affair; 
and although the British retired in very good orde\ yet the nar- 
rowuess of the road had caused a regiment of IriSh light dra- 
goons to throw the 1st guards into some confusion. Taking ad- 



32 

vantage of this delay, the enemy's squadrons advanced in full 
force ; but fortunately the thirty-third were formed in the rear 
when their gallant leader, with great judgment aad promptitude, 
caused them to open, and permit the dragoons to pass through, 
when instantly wheeling up into line, they threw in a few cool 
and well directed volleys into the thickest of the assailants, which 
obliged them to retreat with precipitation, and thereby enabled 
General Abercrombie to complete his retreat without further mo- 
lestation. 

On the 2d of December, his royal highness the Duke of 
York being recalled, the command of the allied armies devolved 
upon the Hanoverian General Walmoden ; and on the 30th of 
December, 1791, the head-quarters being then at Aruheim, an at- 
tack was meditated on the enemy ; for which purpose a corps 
was formed of ten battalions of British infantry, of which the 33d 
was one, under Major General Lord Cathcart, Major General 
Gordon, and Lieutenant Colonel Mac Kensie; six squadrons of ' 
light cavalry, and one hundred and fifty hussars, under Major 
General Sir Robert Lawrie ; the loyal emigrant corps, and four 
battalions and four squadrons of Hessians, under Major General 
de Wurmb : the whole being commanded by Major General Da- 
vid Dundas. 

This respectable force was divided into three columns. The 
left column to attack by the dike : the centre to attack in such a 
manner as to keep the church of Werdenberg upon its left wing ; 
and the right column, consisting of four British battalions, and 
the Rohan hussars, to keep their left wing appuye to the Vliet, 
to turn Tuj 1, aud to attack it in the rear. 

Lord Cathcart found the road by which his column waslo 
march so impracticable, that, being obliged to make a great de- 
tour, he could not come up in time; and General Dundas finding, 
at his arrival near Werdenberg, that the enemy had abandoned • 
it during the night, he thought it advisable to push on with the 
other two columns, and to begin the attack immediately upou 
Tuyl. 

This attack was executed with such gallantry aud spirit by 
the troop?, that, notwithstanding the natural strength of this post. 



33 

(he abattis of fruit trees, that the enemy had constructed, the bai- 
tcries of the town of BommeJ, which flanked the approach, and 
the immense number of the defenders, yet it was soon carried, 
and the enemy driven across the river, (then everywhere passa r 
ble on the ice,) with a considerable loss. Four pieces of cannon 
also were taken ; and the whole detachment received the highest 
praise, not only for their spirited conduct in the execution of the 
enterprise, but also for the patience and perseverance with which 
they encountered the immense fatigues and hardships, consider- 
ably enhanced by the cold and severity of the season. 

The success of the whole was so far complete as thus to oblige 
the invaders to recross the Waal. 

Notwithstanding the advantages gained on the 31st of Decem- 
ber, yet, as the frost was still increasing, it was judged expedient 
that General Dundas's corps should fall back upon Lingen, leaving 
outposts upon the Waal ; a movement which was executed on the 
night of the 3d of January. 

The severity of the Aveather still increasing, the enemy were 
induced, on the 4th, to recross the Waal near Bommel. The 
advanced posts of the allies were immediately driven in, and 
Tuyl fell into the hands of the assailants. General Dundas, not* 
withstanding, still thought that he should be able to defend Met- 
teren, and thus to check the further progress of the enemy ; but 
the advanced posts of ttie Hessians, nearest to his post, having 
been obliged also to fall back, the commander in chief, in concert 
with the other principal officers, thought it prudent to send or- 
ders to him, and also to General Dalwick, to unite their detach- 
ments immediately, and at daybreak of the 5th, to make a vigor- 
ous attack upon the enemy to drive them across the Waal. 

But about two in the afternoon of the 4th, the French attacked 
the post at Mettcren about a mile in front, where part of the 33d 
regiment, with a piquet of eighty cavalry and two curricle 
guns were posted ; their superior number, and their disposition 
to surround this brave little detachment, soon made it necessary 
to fall back on the other part of the regiment, which was sup- 
ported with two howitzers. In this difficult movement, tbey 



34 

were very hard pressed by a large body of the enemy's hussar^ 
that gallopped along the road with great vivacity. 

The troops having beforehand been in an alert situation, the 
village of Geldermalsen was soon covered by the 42d and 78th; 
when the whole of the 33d took its place in the line of defence, 
and the other troops were in reserve on the opposite dike of the 
Lingen, that river being completely frozen, and everywhere 
passable. 

In the early part of this affair, Colonel Wellesley and his lit- 
tle band must have displayed great activity ; but the charge of 
the superior body of the enemy was so impetuous, both on the 
cavalry and infantry, that at first they had the advantage, and il 
is even said, had taken the two curricle guns ; but the reserve of 
the 33d coming up, the guns were retaken, and the enemy re- 
pulsed, so as to allow of the gallaut few falling back with regu- 
larity on the main body. 

The enemy still persevering in their attack, and being now re- 
inforced, advanced on the village of Geldermalsen, both in front 
and flank ; but after a great deal of musketry firing, for about 
an hour, were everywhere repulsed by the steadiness of the 
troops, and forced to retire. 

The violence of the frost having now converted the whole 
country into a kind of plain, which thereby afforded the greatest 
facilities to the French army in all their movements, General 
Dundas thought it necessary to fall back during the night upon 
Beuren, where General Dalwick was already stationed. 

This circumstance, and the excessive fatigue which the troops 
had undergone in those operations, at a season of the year, and 
in situations, in which they were often obliged, from want of can- 
tonments, to pass the night without cover, determined the com- 
mander in chief to take up a position behind the Leek, extending 
from Cuylenberg to Wageningen. 

Another reason for this movement, was a march made by a 
considerable columu of the enemy, atteuded by a large train of 
artillery towards Gorcum ; whilst their attack upon the right, 
combined with an attempt upon Thiel, evidently indicated a 



Hit 

regular plan of operations, even during the severity of the 
weather. 

In the mean time a partial change took place in the movements 
of the British ; for a very considerable and sudden thaw having 
come on upon the 6th, which offered a prospect of still preserving 
the position upon the Waal, it was judged proper that the troops 
which had not yet crossed the Leek should remain in the canton- 
mentp they then occupied, and that the rest should again move 
forward. 

On this occasion Lieutenant General Abercrombie and Major 
General Hammerstein, with the greatest part of their corps, and 
some Austrian battalions, were to have begun their march upon 
Thiel, and towards Bommel upon the 7th; and General Dundas's 
corps received orders in consequence, to occupy Beuren, and the 
heights near it, on the 8th, in order that they might cooperate 
with the former detachments. 

Notwithstanding the severity of the weather, it was extremely 
changeable; and it had happened very unfortunately that the 
frost set in again most unexpectedly; but as the troops were al- 
ready put in motion, and counter orders might have prevented a 
combination, from the extent of the line, General Dundas having 
assembled his corps, with a zeal and exertion both on his part 
and that of the different commanding officers, which drew forth 
the highest prake from the commander in chief; he proceeded 
towards Beuren on the morning of the 8th, having detached in ad- 
vance two battalions, who Avere afterwards to have marched upon 
Thiel, to cooperate in the attack upon that place. On their ar- 
rival at Beuren, they found all the British posts upon the Lin- 
gen driven in, and the enemy in force near Beuren ; but as soon 
as more troops came up, Lord Cathcart was sent forward in ad- 
vance, and soon drove back the enemy, with great loss, beyond 
Geldermalsen. 

The retreat of the British army was still, however, absolutely 
necessary, but under circumstances of the most horrible suffer- 
ing, which cannot be related better than in the words of an eye- 
witness. 

*' On the 16th of January we marched at the appointed hour; 



at; 

and, alter a very laborious journey, about three o'clock io the af- 
ternoon reached the verge of an immense desert, called the We- 
law, when, instead of having a resting place for the night, as we 
expected, we were informed that we had fifteen miles further to 
go. Upon this information many began to be very much deject- 
ed, and not without reason ; for several of us, besides suffering the 
severity of the weather, and fatigue of the march, had neither 
eat nor drank any thing, except water, that day. • 

" For the first three or four miles such a dismal prospect ap- 
peared as none of us was ever witness to before ; a bare sandy de- 
sert, with a tuft of withered grass, or solitary shrub, here and 
there. The wind was excessively high, and drifted the snow and 
sand together so strong, that we could hardly wrestle against it r 
to which was added a severity of cold almost insufferable. The 
frost was so intense, that the water which came from our eyes, 
freezing as it fell, hung in icicles to our eyelashes ; and our 
breath, freezing as soon as emitted, lodged in heaps of ice about 
our faces, and on the blankets or coats that were wrapped round 
our heads. 

" Night approaching fast, a great number, both men and women, 
began to linger behind, their spirits being quite exhausted, and 
without hope of reaching their destination ; and if they once lost 
sight of the column of march, though but a few moments, it being 
dark, and no track to follow, there was no chance of finding it 
again. In this state numbers were induced to sit down, or creep 
under the shelter of bushes, where, weary, spiritless, and with- 
out hope, a few moments consigned them to sleep ; but, alas ! who- 
ever slept waked no more ; their blood instantly congealed in theis 
veins, the spring of life soon dried up ; and if ever they opened 
their eyes, it was only to be sensible of the last moments of their 
miserable existence. 

" Others, sensible of the danger of sitting down, but having lost 
the column, wandered up and down the pathless waste, surround- 
ed with darkness and despair ; no sound to comfort their ears 
but the bleak whistling wind ; no sight to bless their eyes but the 
wide trackless waste, and ' shapeless drift ;' far from human help, 
far from pity, down they sunk — to rise no more J" 



37 

The sufferings of the British army, at this period, were indeed 
great in the extreme. Removing the sick in wagons without 
sufficient clothing to keep them warm, iu that rigorous season. 
had sent some huudreds to their graves ; whilst the shameful neg- 
lect that theu pervaded all the medical departments had rendered 
the hospitals nothing better than slaughter-houses. 

Without covering, without attendance, and even without clean 
straw, and sufficient shelter from the weather, they were thrown 
together in heaps, unpitied and unprotected, to perish by conta- 
gion, whilst legions of vultures, down to the stewards, nurses, and 
their numberless dependants, pampered their bodies, and filled 
their pockets with the nation's treasure. 

Though the sufferings which Colonel Wellesley must now 
have endured were great in the extreme, iu commou with the 
whole army, yet these were to him a school of experience ; and 
he has ever since directed his best attentions to the comfort of 
his troops, whose conduct, under the most trying circumstances, 
have always tended to their glory. 

At this period the diminished British army had every dis- 
advantage to encounter ; for through the activity of the French 
commanders, and the inhospitable feelings of the Dutch, whose 
hatred was never concealed when they had fair and safe oppor- 
tunities of manifesting it, they were totally unable to make any 
thing like a determined stand. On the 27th of January, 1 795. 
they were able to reach Deventer, after one of the most fatiguing 
and distressing marches which perhaps was ever experienced by 
a retreating army. Here, then, they fondly hoped to enjoy some 
little respite from their sufferings, and from the absolute necessity 
of the most sedulous attention ; for, notwithstanding all their suf- 
ferings, such had been their courage and perseverance, as to en- 
able them in the midst of their arduous trials to convey with 
safety to this rendezvous all the ammunition and military stores, 
artillery, and implements of war of all descriptions belonging to 
the army. 

Further than this, however, from the unwillingness of the coun- 
try people to supply them with cattle and wagons, and from the 
rapid diminution of their strength, they were unable to convey 



38 

them, and were therefore obliged to destroy great part to prevent 
their falling into the hands of the enemy, whose rapid approach 
made it necessary to evacuate Devcntcr on the 29th. 

On the 10th of July they were able to cross the Vecht, and 
two days after to reach the Ems; still pursued by a harassing 
enemy, who, however, never dared to attack them seriously until 
the 24th of the month, when a large and superior body of the 
French army came up with the rear. An action immediately 
took place ; but our little baud displayed such firmness that the 
assailants were totally unable to make any impression upon them, 
and were obliged to allow them to resume their march, and to 
pursue it unmolested into the country of Bremen, where the 
kindness of the German boors formed a most pleasing contrast to 
the sullen apathy, or more spiteful enmity of the Dutch. 

During the whole of this arduous retreat, Lieutenant Colonel 
Wellesley, at the head of three battalions, had covered all the 
movements ; aud, even under circumstances of the greatest and 
most peculiar difficulty, acted in such a manner as to excite the 
applause pf all, and to gain the approbation of his superiors. 



39 
SECTION II. 

Arrival in -India — Projected attempt on Manilla — Expected war in the Car- 
natic — Preliminary observations — Religious customs and manners of the 
Hindoos — Political state of society— Tippoo Suitaun's politics — His negotia- 
tions with France — French troops landed at Mangalore— Governor Ge- 
neral's reasons for engaging in the war — Insidious conduct of the Sultaun — 
Formation of the army for the Mysore — Nizam's subsidiary contingent put 
under the separate command of Colonel Wellesley — Anecdotes of Lieute- 
nant General Harris — Advance of the army — Skirmishes and attacks of the 
enemy— Battle of Mallavelli — Advance to Seringapatam— Siege of that 
important city and fortress— Brilliant attacks conducted by Colonel Welles- 
ley — Affair of the ^ultaunpettah — Storm and surrender — Anecdotes of 
forlorn hope, &c. — Anecdotes of Colonel Dunlop — Tippoo's conduct and 

fall- Anecdotes of General Sir David Baird— Discovery of Tippoo's body 

Anecdotes of Tippoo Sultaun — Anecdotes of the Storm — Changes in the 
Mysore government — Tippoo's sons sent prisoners to Vellore, and the 
rightful Rajah reinstated on the throne of his ancestors — Treasure found 
in the palace, Ste. — Beneficial consequences of the fall of Tippoo — Grati- 
tude of the army to Lord Mornington, and his exemplary self denial— 
Galiant and judicious conduct of Colonel Wellesley against Dhoondia Watigh 
—Battle of Conahgull, &c. &c. &c. 

A NEW era now arrived in which the splendid abilities of 
Colonel Wellesley had an opportunity of being brought forward, 
his brother, the Earl of Mornington, (now Marquis of Wellesley,) 
being appointed to the high and important station of governor 
general of our oriental empire, whither the colonel, with his own 
regiment, accompanied him; and they arrived at Kedgeree at 
the mouth of the Ganges, on board the Virginie frigate, on the 
17th of May, 1798, when the governor general proceeded for 
Calcutta, went through the usual ceremonies, and took on him 
the execution of his arduous office. 

The Spanish war having then been commenced, an attack ob 
their settlements at the Philippine Islands was determined on. 
and a large force not only assembled, but partly embarked for 
that service, in which Colonel Wellesley would have enjoyed a 
high command ; but the intrigues of the French with the native 
princes of India, obliged the governor general to change his plan? 
on the instant, and reserve his rroops for the defence of tlwi 
British territories. 



40 

Notwithstanding the friendly protestations of Tippoo Sultaun, 
die experience of the campaigns under the Marquis of Corn- 
wallis had shown that the loss of the Coimbatoor country and 
other districts, and even of many of his hill forts in the Mysore, 
had produced no steady effect on his mind, and he seemed to fear 
nothing whilst he possessed his capital ; the Earl of Mornington, 
therefore, determined on decisive measures; and the reduction of 
Seringapatam was considered as an object of the first considera- 
tion. 

The important operations Avhich now took place in India re- 
quire a few preliminary lines. 

Tippoo Sultaun, impelled by his rooted enmity to the British 
nation, had already despatched two ambassadors, who embarked 
at Mangalore for the Isle of France, and arrived at that island to- 
wards the close of January, 1 798. These ambassadors Avere re- 
ceived publicly and formally by the French government, with 
every circumstance of distinction and respect ; and they were 
entertained at the public expense during their continuance on 
the island. 

Previous, indeed, to the arrival of the ambassadors in that 
island, no idea, nor even rumour, existed there of any aid to be 
furnished to Tippoo by the French, or of any prospect of a war 
between that prince and the company ; but, within two days after 
their arrival, a proclamation was issued by the governor general, 
stating that an embassy had arrived with letters from Tippoo 
Sultaun, addressed not only to the government of the Isle of 
France, but to the executive directory at home, proposing to con- 
clude an offensive and defensive alliance, to subsidize whatever 
troops France might send to his assistance, and to commence 
against British India a war, for which the Sultaun was described 
as fully prepared ; and stating at the same time that he was wait- 
iog with anxiety the moment when the assistance of France should 
enable him to satisfy his ardent desire of expelling the British 
nation from that country. 

Such a proclamation was no doubt very impolitic, as giving 
full warning to England of what she might expect, and thereby 
enabling the Company's servants in India to be upon their guard, 



41 

s'or the proclamation soon found its way to Calcutta ; but as it 
concluded by offering encouragement to the subjects of France 
to enter into the service of Tippoo Sultaun, on terms to be fixed 
with his ambassadors then on the spot, it is likely the governor 
thought a full development necessary to encourage the plan in 
view of raising men. 

Tippoo Sultaun, therefore, having actually concluded these 
offensive and defensive engagements with France, then our ene- 
my; having permitted the French troops to land publicly at 
Mangalore, and having thus collected by their aid a force openly 
destined to carry those engagements into effect ; having also ap- 
plied to the directory of Frauce for a more powerful force, des- 
tined to the same end ; and having also declared that the delay 
©f the meditated blow proceeded from no other cause than his 
expectation of receiving further aid from the enemy ; the Earl 
of Mornington conceived himself perfectly justified in asserting 
that the Sultaun had most flagrantly violated the treaties existing 
between him and the Company, and that he had actually com- 
mitted an act of direct hostility and aggression against the Bri- 
tish government in India. 

In addition to this, the governor general had received undoubt- 
ed intelligence that Tippoo had for some time previous been en- 
tirely employed in military preparations, in perfect couformity 
with the hostile spirit of his engagements Avith our inveterate ene- 
my ; that the greatest part of his army was in a state of equip- 
ment for the field ; and that a considerable portion of it was ac- 
tually encamped under his personal command. 

All this, however, was in direct opposition to the communica- 
tions from Tippoo himself; for he had not then attempted to 
allege even the pretext of a grievance against the British go- 
vernment ; and even in his letters to Sir John Shore, now Lord 
Teignmouth, whilst his ambassadors were actually at the Isle of 
France, nay, dated on the very day on which the French force 
landed at Mangalore, he declared that " his friendly heart was 
disposed to pay every regard to truth and justice, and to strength- 
en the foundations of harmony and concord between the twona- 
8 



42 

tiotis;'' aud lie concluded Avith expressing a desire thai Sir John 
would impress Lord Moraington with a sense of the friendship 
•and unanimity so firmly subsisting between the two states. Lord 
Mornington was fortunately not to be cajoled by these pacific de- 
clarations ; but considering the act of Tippoo Sultauu's ambassa*- 
dors, ratified by himself, and followed up by the admission of a 
French force into his army, as equivalent to a public, unquali- 
fied, and unambiguous, declaration of war, he determined on an 
immediate attack upon his capital, as demanded by the soundest 
maxims both of justice and policy, and as the best and surest 
means of frustrating the execution of his unprovoked and un- 
warrantable projects of ambition «nd revenge. 

The departure of the large force destined for Manilla, it was 
afterwards ascertained, would have proved a signal to the watch- 
ful vengeance of Tippoo to invade the Caraatic, even without 
waiting for the aid of a French force, the assistance of which 
did not appear necessary to him during the contemplated ab- 
sence of such a considerable portion of our army. 

The whole proposed plan of operation became, therefore, 
necessarily changed, and the Madras army, under Lieutenant 
General Harris, was concentrated at Vellore, in the Carnatic . 
but, from the unavoidable delays in providing the necessary 
equipments for so large a force, it was not in a condition to 
begin its march before the 11th of February, 17 99. The con- 
tingent of the Nizam, amounting to about 6,000 of the Com- 
pany's troops, under the command of Colonel Roberts, and sub- 
sidized by his highness, together with the same number of his 
own native infantry, marched from Hyderabad, under the com- 
mand of Meer Allum Bahauder, and had arrived at Chittoor, 
even before General Harris was ready to march from Vellore. 

In order to give the Nizam's force the utmost respectability, 
the commander in chief not only strengthened it with some of 
the Company's battalions, but appointed the 33d regiment to join 
it, giving the geueral command of the British force thus serving 
to Colonel Wellesley. 

This arrangement, which was highly pleasing to Meer Allum. 



43 

added greatly to the confidence of his troops, and tended much 
to render them essentially useful. 

Colonel Wellesley had thus under his commaud the whole ol 
the Nizam's detachment, forming the reserve of the army, and 
comprising his own regiment the 33d, the 11th, part of the 2d 
and 4th, two battalions of the 1st Bengal regiment, two brigades 
of artillery, the Nizam's infantry commanded by Captain Mal- 
colm, and the cavalry of the same prince commanded by their 
own native officer, Meer Allum. Along with these he had a 
distinct staff; and the cavalry alone amounted to 6,000 men ; the 
whole army under General Harris being returned 36,959 fighting 
men, all well equipped, amply and liberally supplied, excellent 
in discipline, and never surpassed by any army ever formed iu 
India, in the skill and ability of the officers in all departments. 

It must be confessed, indeed, that the expedition was begun 
uuder^mtoward circumstances, for the cumbrous baggage and 
numerous attendants on the Nizam force, as well as that of the 
European troops, the immense quantity of public stores and pro- 
visions, the long train of ordnance, with above forty thousand 
Benjarres, formed altogether such a host as not to admit of be- 
ing covered by the effective force ; so that if Tippoo had em- 
ployed his powers, with the military skill which lie was sup- 
posed to possess, he might, without hazarding an engagement, by 
desultory skirmishes, distant cannonades, and other hostile move- 
ments, have so harassed the infantry, and weakened the cavalry, 
that a great part of the baggage, stores, and ammunition, would 
probably have fallen into his hands, and the army have thus been 
greatly impeded in its march to the place of destination, particu- 
larly as the rainy season was then near setting in. 

The commander in chief, Lieutenant General Harris, having 
determined to advance to Seringapatam, by the route of Talgaut- 
poram and Cankanelli, the march commenced at daybreak on 
the 10th of March, 1799. Tlie cavalry were in advance, the 
baggage on the right, and the detachment under Colonel Welles- 
ley, which had marched by the left, moved parallel at some dis- 
tance on the right flank of the army. 



44 

Even on the first day's advance, the enemy began to annoy 
them. Parties of their horse were in all directions, and were not 
only active in burning the forage, and destroying the villages, 
but had even the audacity to attack Colonel Wellesley's rear 
guard, consisting of a company of Sepoys. Of these twenty 
were killed upon the spot, and Lieutenant Reynolds, and thirty- 
six wounded; but the commanding officer taking prompt steps, 
they were immediately repulsed. 

On the 19th, after a fatiguing march through a country full of 
jungles and defdes, intelligence was received that the army of 
Tippoo had advanced to Allagoor, a village near Sultaunpettah ; 
and on the 28th, the left wing and the cavalry having encamped 
«dose to a pass about seven miles from Cankanelli, the right were 
advanced to Arravully, and Colonel Wellesley's division took 
tip its ground at some distance in the rear. 

On the 23d, after securing several posts and passes of import- 
ance, the right wing of the cavalry marched from Achil, and en- 
camped at Sultaunpettah, the left wing and the battering train 
advancing to Achil, while Colonel Wellesley, with his detach- 
ment, marched from Cankanelli, and encamped in front of the ar- 
my, and the village of Allagoor, from whence the Sultaun's army 
had retired. Early on the morning of the day, as the colonel 
and his advance approached Sultaunpettah, a cloud of dust to 
the westward evidently denoted that the army of Tippoo was 
then in motion, and it afterwards appeared that it had just quit- 
ted its position on the westward bank of the Maddoor river, and 
had encamped at Mallavelly. As the movements from this date 
led to an action in which the colonel had an opportunity of 
greatly distinguishing himself, we shall notice them more mi- 
nutely from the observations of an eyewitness. 

Pursuing their march, the right wing, the cavalry, and the 
detachment under Colonel Wellesley, halted on the 25th of 
March, and were joined by the left wing and the battering train. 
On the 26th the whole moved in compact order, and encamped 
five miles to the eastward of Mallavelly. This gave Tippoo an 
opportunity of executing part of his intentions; for the spies, on 



45 

Jheir return from his camp, positively asserted that he had de- 
clared his intention of attacking them " as soon as they ventured 
out of the jungles," or thick forests through which they had to 
pass; and his having waited some days encamped on the bauks 
of the Maddoor appeared to confirm the truth of their reports. 

The ground taken up by the army on the 26th was open, and 
easily to be seen from the adjoining heights ; and the enemy's ad- 
vanced parties, amongst which were some elephants, soon appear- 
ed upon a distant ridge. From thence, after reconnoitring the 
British encampment for a considerable time, they retired, and in 
the evening fourteen or fifteen guns were seen in motion ; the 
whole of which circumstances seemed to point out that the Sul- 
taun was preparing for the execution of his threatened attack. 

On the 27th, therefore, at daybreak, Colonel Wellesley's di- 
vision was ordered to move parallel to the left, but at some dis- 
tance, so as to cover the baggage, and to be in readiness to act as 
circumstances should require ; whilst the main body of the army 
marched from its left flank on the great road leading to Malla- 
velly. Major General Floyd commanded the advance of the 
whole, having under him all the piquets; together with five re- 
giments of cavalry ; he approached within a mile of Mallaveliy. 
but was there obliged to halt, in consequence of discovering a 
numerous body of the enemy's cavalry on the right flank, whilst 
their infantry remained on the heights beyond that place. 

He was convinced that this was Tippoo's grand army ; and 
having reconnoitred his position, discovered some guns moving 
towards the right of the enemy's line, as if with the intention of 
occupying a ridge which enfiladed the low ground on the east- 
ern flank of the village. He immediately concluded that these 
guns were intended to open upon our line whilst passing this 
ground; and having given the proper information to the command- 
er in chief, measures were immediately taken for an instant at- 
tack, in order to frustrate his plans. 

Colonel Wellesley, with his division, was directed to attack 
the Sultaun's right flank, whilst the piquets, under Colonel Sher- 
brooke, supported by the right wing of the main body, under 



46 

Major General Brydges, were to penetrate through the village ot 
Mullavelly towards the centre of the enemy's line ; and Major 
General Popham, with the left Aving and the rear guard, was to 
remain at the fort end of the village of Mallavelly, for the pro- 
tection of the battering train and the baggage ; the five regiments 
of cavalry being formed on the left of the road, with orders to 
support Colonel Wellesley's attack. 

The colonel no sooner put his force in motion, and his ma- 
noeuvre was perceived by the Sultaun, than the guns were drawn 
olF to a ridge beyond that which they at first occupied. Here 
the main body of the enemy's infantry was drawn up, but at so 
great a distance, that it was at first imagined they were about to 
retire; and at this period General Harris, who had led the 
piquets and the right Aving in person, arrived at the fort of • Mal- 
lavelly, while Lieutenant Colonel Richardsou,the quartermaster- 
general, having advanced to reconnoitre the ground on the wes- 
tern side of the fort, now waited for instructions. 

The general, indeed, was of opinion, from the enemy remain- 
ing at so great a distance, that lie did not mean to advance ; he, 
therefore, gave orders to Colonel Richardson to mark out the 
ground for a new encampment, which he performed under the 
protection of Colonel Sherbrooke with the piquets, reinforced 
by the 2jUi light dragoons, and the second regiment of native 
cavalry. He had scarcely, however, marked out this new 
v-i -oiiiid, when twelve or fourteen guns were opened from different 
parts of the enemy's line, at a distance of two thousand yards. 
Though at this distance they soon got the range, and did some 
execution ; but our advanced troops were soon in motion, for 
Colonel Sherbrooke immediately pushed forward with the 
piquets to a village in front of the left of the hostile army, from 
which he soon drove oft' a party of their cavalry and rocket men. 
This position was of such consequence that a body of the 
enemy's horse soon began to hover on our right flank ; hut they 
were kept in check by the 25th dragoons, under Colonel Cotton, 
who still maintained their position. The piquets were, indeed, 
now the most advanced part of the army, and had been most fu- 
3 • 



47 

diciously posted by Colonel Sherbrooke with their right to the 
village; but they were now considerably annoyed by the can- 
nonade and rockets; and, the cannonade increasing, the 5th, 1st, 
and 3d brigades were ordered to advance and form upon his 
left. 

At this juncture Colonel Wellesley, supported by Major Ge- 
neral Floyd, with the three remaining regiments of cavalry, ad- 
vanced en echcllcn of battalions ; and the whole line thus moving 
slowly and steadily, time Avas given for the whole to act toge- 
ther, the enemy's cannonade being answered by as many of the 
fieldpieces as could be brought up ; the action thus becoming 
general along the whole front. At this moment a desperate attempt 
was made on the part of Tippoo, by moving forward a column to 
the number of two thousand men, in excellent order, towards the 
33d regiment, but this gallant corps, reserving its fire with the 
utmost steadiness, received that of the enemy at the distance of 
sixty yards; and, continuing to advance, the column gave way 
and were thrown into disorder, at which critical moment General 
Floyd making a rapid charge completed the rout with great 
slaughter. 

The enemy's first line, with the whole of its guns, was now 
forced, by the advance of the whole British line, to retire to the 
ftext height, where their second line was formed. They were at 
this time almost beyond the reach of our guns, and the cannon- 
ade, which had lasted three hours, having ceased on both sides, 
On account of the distance, the enemy retreated : indeed, it 
may be said that the action, properly speaking, was of very 
short duration ; for, although some corps of their infantry, as 
well as cavalry, exhibited the strongest proofs of courage, yet it 
was totally impossible for them to withstand the determined va- 
lour and steadiness of the British force. 

The British loss was inconsiderable, three officers only being 
wounded, six Europeans killed, and thirty-four wounded ; the 
loss of our native troops amounting to only about half that num- 
ber; but though the enemy appeared to suffer severely, yet it 
was impossible to ascertain the extent of their loss, as they car- 



48 

vied oft* both killed aod wounded, which were afterwards under- 
stood to have amounted to upwards of one thousand ; and it was 
afterwards accurately known, that of the column which attacked 
Colonel Wellesley, and was afterwards charged by General Floyd, 
only two hundred and thirty remained on the field, in a state for 
service, after the action was over. It has also been mentioned 
that some of the prisoners asserted that the infantry were driven 
on by the horse, and ordered to attack the British ; a fact further 
corroborated by an eyewitness, who adds, that the firmness of 
those corps which opposed his majesty's 33d regiment, as well as 
the gallantry of a party of horse that charged the European bri- 
gade, was perhaps never exceeded by the Sultaun's troops on any 
former occasion. 

On the approach towards Seringapatam Colonel Wellesley, 
with his divisiou, accompanied "by the cavalry, and the right 
wing of the army, encamped on the north side of the river 
Cauvery, whilst the left wing crossed that river at a very prac- 
ticable ford, a movement which tended much to defeat the pro- 
posed plans of the enemy against their advance. 

On the 1st of April, 1 799, the whole army was within thirteen 
miles of Seringapatam ; on the 3d the army marched by the left, 
and Colonel Wellesley's division, keeping on the right, moved 
along the bank of the river, the whole encamping again upon the 
high road, at the distance of five miles from that fortress. 

To go through all the details of this important siege would be 
far beyond our proposed limits ; we shall, therefore, briefly state 
that on the 5th of April the whole British army took up its ground 
opposite the west face of the fort of Seringapatam, at the dis- 
tance of only three thousand five hundred yards, the left being 
to the river Cauvery, whilst Colonel Wellesley, with his division, 
was encamped en potence, to the right of the whole. 

In front of the British camp were several ruined villages, and 
rocky eminences, besides an aqueduct, which, passing from the 
left of the camp, takes there an easterly direction till it ap- 
proaches within seventeen hundred yards of the fort, where it 
winds oft* to the right to a large grove of cocoa trees and bam- 



4y 

boos, called the Sultaunpettah Tope : and these positions afforded 
cover for the enemy's infantry and rocket men so near to the 
camp, that many of the rockets thrown from these places fell 
among the tents. 

In order to dislodge them from this cover, Colonel Wellesley 
had orders, ou the evening of the 5th of April, to have the 33d 
regiment, and the 2d Bengal regiment, in readiness at sunset; 
whilst Colonel Shaw with the 12th, and two battalions of Sepoys 
with their guns, received similar orders : the former being des- 
tined to scour the Sultaunpettah Tope, whilst the latter was to 
attack the posts at the aqueduct. It was a little after sunset be- 
fore these detachments advanced, which they did both at the 
same instant, the obscurity of the night being at the same time 
rather unfavourable to their operations. Colonel Wellesley, im- 
mediately upon entering the Tope, was assailed from it. on every 
side by a hot fire of musketry aud rockets, which circumstance, 
added to the darkness of the night, the uncertainty of the ene- 
my's force aud position, and the baduess of the ground, obliged 
him solely to confine his operations to the mere object of making 
a diversion, and to postpone the attack of the post until a more 
favourable opportunity, whilst Colonel Shaw was enabled to seize 
upon a ruined village within forty yards of the aqueduct, so as 
to secure his troops from the musketry of the enemy, who, how- 
ever, still retained possession of the aqueduct itself. 

The commander in chief the next morning (the 6th) observing 
that the village where Colonel Shaw was posted was still much 
galled by the enemy's musketry, a reinforcement during the 
night having arrived at the aqueduct, and feeling that the posses- 
sion of the Sultaunpettah Tope was absolutely necessary not only 
for the support of Colonel Shaw's post, but also for the security 
of the camp against the annoyance of the enemy's rocket9, he 
made a disposition to drive in the whole of the enemy's outpost 
extending from the Cauvery to the Tape, and ordered that three 
distinct, but simultaneous, attacks should be made uuder cover of 
some guns brought forward for that purpose. 

The attack on the Sultaunpettah Tope was again intrusted to 



50 

Colonel "Wellesley; Colonel Shaw was to advance from the ruined 
village which he occupied, and to dislodge the party posted in the 
aqueduct; whilst Colonel Wallace was to attack a village on the 
enemy's right flank, with the grenadiers of the 74th and two 
companies of Sepoys; and the whole was to take place exactly 
at nine o'clock. 

At the appointed hour Colonel Wellesley advanced to the at- 
tack of the Tope with the Scotch brigade, two battalions of Se- 
poys, and four guns ; and the enemy firing under cover of the 
bank of the aqueduct, their fire was returned by a few discharges 
from the fieldpieces, when the whole corps rushed on with great 
gallantry; and the colonel having judiciously detached parties 
to take the post in flank, the enemy were thereby immediately 
thrown into confusion, and forced to retire with great precipita- 
tion. At this precise moment Colonel Wallace took possession of 
the village, on the right flank, which commanded a considerable 
part of the aqueduct ; and Colonel Shaw having quitted the 
ruined village, rushed upon the enemy, and drove them from that 
part of the aqueduct from which he had been so much annoyed 
during the night ; the whole of the advanced line of posts was 
immediately occupied by our troops, the success of those bril- 
liant attacks, so ably planned, and so gallantly executed, secu- 
ring to the assailants a strong connected line of posts, extending 
from the river to the Tope, a distance of about two miles, forming, 
in some measure, by means of the aqueduct, a complete line of 
contravallation at a proper distance both from the camp and from 
the line of attack. 

On the 26th, the enemy still retaining possession of parts of an 
entrenchment, at the distance of two hundred and thirty yards 
from the approaches, it was found necessary, in order to facili- 
tate the further operations of the siege, that they should be dis- 
lodged from it to secure the working parties from the effects of 
musketry. It was settled that all the batteries should keep up 
a smart fire upon these works, and also on the entrenchments, for 
at least half an hour before the assailants advanced ; but that as 
soon as they should be seeu to approach the posts of the enemy, 



51 

then the fire should be directed against that line of lire, ia the 
fort itself, from which most annoyance might be expected. 

The direction of these attacks was given to Colonel Wellesley, 
who on that day commanded in the trenches, which he did 
with such precision and gallantry, that the two columns, which 
advanced a little after sunset, stormed the entrenchment with 
great spirit, threw the enemy into confusion, and succeeded 
in establishing the posts, which were immediately secured as 
effectually as possible from the annoyance of the fire from the 
works. 

The batteries having at noon, on the 3d of May, rendered the 
breach almost practicable, scaling ladders, fascines, and other 
materials, were ordered to be sent to the trenches, after sunset, 
and to be kept in readiness for the assault. 

The breach being considered practicable on the evening of 
the 3d, the troops destined for the assault were stationed in the 
trenches before daybreak of the 4th, at which time Colonel 
"Wellesley was ordered to take the command of the reserve in 
the advanced works, in order to act as circumstances might point 
out, his own regiment, the 33d, forming part of the left column, 
under Lieutenant Colonel Dunlop, which was to attack the north- 
ern rampart. 

About half past one in the afternoon, General Baird having 
completed his arrangements, stept out of the trench, drew his 
sword, and, in the most heroic and animating manner, said to his 
men, " Come, my brave fellows, follow me, and prove yourselves 
worthy the name of British soldiers!" In an instant both columns 
rushed from the trenches, and entered the bed of the river, under 
cover of the fire of the batteries ; but, being immediately disco- 
vered by the enemy, they were assailed by rockets and musketry. 
In six minutes the forlorn hope, closely followed by the rest of the 
troops had reached the summit of the breach, where the British 
colours were almost instantly display ed ; a most glorious and ani- 
mating sight to the rest of the army, whose anxiety was imme- 
diately relieved ; for until our troops had crossed the ditch, (al- 
though every precaution was taken for filling it if necessary,) 



52 

even the most sanguine minds could not be utterly void of, 
doubt.* 

In a few minutes more the breach, one hundred feet wide, was 
crowded with men, who being now collected in sufficient force to 
enter upon the rampart, fded off to the right and left according 
to General Baird's instructions. 

The conduct of Tippoo himself was on thi6 occasion highly 
creditable to his personal character. According to his usual 
custom, he went out early in the morning to one of the cavaliers 
of the outer rampart, whence he could observe Avhat was doing on 
both sides. He remained there till about noon, when he took his 
usual repast under a pandal. At this time he seems to have liad 
no idea of an immediate attack, even though told that the British 
lines were unusually crowded with Europeans; but merely sent 
orders to Meer Goffar, a favourite officer, to keep a strict guard. 
He was informed a few minutes afterwards that Meer Goffar was 
killed by a cannon shot. " Well," said he, " Meer Goffar was 
never afraid of death." Yet he was evidently agitated, ordered 
the troops near him immediately under arms, and desired his 
servants to load his carbines; and, hastening along the ramparts to- 
wards the breach, he then met a number of his troops flying be- 
fore the van of the assailants, who, he now first perceived, had 
mounted the walls. Here he exerted himself to rally the fugi- 
tives, encouraging them both by voice and example. He repeat- 
edly fired on our troops himself, and one of his servants asserted 
that he saw him bring down several Europeans from the breach. 
At this critical moment, the front of the European flank com- 

* The forlorn hope was led by a sergeant of the light company of the Bom- 
bay European regiment, who volunteered his services on the occasion ; his 
name was Graham- He ran forward to examine the breach, and mounting 
it he pulled off his hat, and with three cheers called out " Success to Lieu- 
tenant Graham," (alluding to his having a commission if he survived,) on 
which he rejoined his party, and remounted with them with the colours in his 
hand. Upon reaching the rampart, he stuck the colour staff in it, exclaim- 
ing, " Damn 'em, I'll show them the British flag!" and was at that moment 
sh'-t through the head. The gallant fellow left a European widow and four 
children behind him, who were, however, taken care of. 



53 

panies approached the spot where lie stood ; he now found himself 
almost deserted, and was forced to retire to the traverses of the 
north ramparts. These he defended one after another with the 
bravest of his men and officers, and indeed several times, assisted 
by the enfilading fire from the inner walls, obliged our troops to halt 
in their advance, until the 12th regiment, crossing the inner ditch, 
took him in flank. Yet even then, whilst any of his troops re- 
mained with him, he disputed every inch of ground, until he ap- 
proached the passage across the ditch to the gate of the inner 
fort. Here he complained of pain and weakness in one of hi^ 
legs, in which he had received a bad wound when very young; 
and ordering his horse to be brought, he mounted ; but seeing the 
Europeans still advancing on both the ramparts, he made for the 
gate followed by his palanquin, and a number of officers, troops, 
and servants. Here, as he was crossing to the gate, he received 
a musket ball in his right side, nearly as high as the breast; he, 
however, still pressed on until he was stopped about half way 
through the arch of the gateway, by the fire of the 12th light in- 
fantry from within, when he received a second ball close to the 
other. The horse he rode on, being also wounded, sunk under 
him; and his turban fell to the ground. Many of his people 
fell at the same time, on every side, by musketry both from 
within and without the gate. The fallen Sultaun was imme- 
diately raised by some of his adherents, aud placed upon his 
palanquin under the arch, and on one side of the gateway, 
where he lay or sat some minutes, faint aud exhausted, till some 
Europeans entered the gateway. A servant who survived rela- 
ted that one of the soldiers seized his sword-belt which was very 
rich, and attempted to pull it off; that the Sultaun, Avho still held 
his sword in his hand, made a cut at the soldier with all his re- 
maining strength, aud wounded him about the knee ; on which 
he put his piece to his shoulder, and shot the Sultaun through 
the temple, when he instantly expired ! No less than three hun- 
dred men were killed under this gateway, besides numbers 
wounded, so that it soon became impassable, except over the bo- 
dies of the dead and dying. 



54 

During the contest, and before the palace of Tippoo was ac- 
tually given up, Major Allan had gone in with a flag of truce, in 
order to convince the princes, the sons of Trppoo, of the folly of 
resistance. All of them were alarmed at the proposal; and were 
particularly reluctant to allowing the gates to be opened except on 
the authority of their father, to whom they desired to send. At 
length, however, Major Allan having promised that he would post 
a guard of their own Sepoys within, and a party of Europeans on 
the outside, and having also given them strong assurances that no 
person should be allowed to enter the palace, except by his au- 
thority, and that he would return and remain with them until 
General Baird arrived, he convinced them of the necessity of 
compliance, and had the satisfaction of observing that the princes, 
as well as their attendants, seemed to rely with confidence on the 
assurances he had given them. 

On opening the gate, he found General Baird and several offi- 
cers with a large body of troops assembled ; and he then return- 
ed into the palace for the purpose of bringing the princes to the 
general* He had some difficulty, however, in conquering the 
alarm, and the objections which they raised as to quitting the 
palace; but they at length permitted him and Colonel Close to 
conduct them to the gate. 

The indignation of General Baird was at that time justly raised, 
by a report which had then reached him, that the Sultaun had most 
inhumanly murdered all the Europeans who had fallen into his 
hands during the siege ; this was heightened, probably, by a momen- 
tary recollection of his own sufferings, during more than three 
years' imprisonment in that very place; he was nevertheless 
sensibly affected by the sight of the princes; and his gallantry 
on the assault was not more conspicuous than the moderation and 
humanity he displayed on this occasion. He received the un- 
happv princes with every mark of regard, repeatedly assuring 
them that no violence or insult should be offered to them, and he 
gave them in charge to Lieutenant Colonel Agnew and Captain 
Marriott, by whom they were conducted to head-quarters in 
camp, escorted by the light company of Colonel "Wellesley's 
1 



bii 

•ten regiment, the 33d, whilst, as they passed, the troops were 
ordered to pay them the compliment of presented arms. 

General Baird now determined to search the most retired parts 
of the palace, in hopes of finding Tippoo Sultaun. He ordered 
the light company of the 74th regiment, followed by ethers, to 
enter the palace yard. Tippoo's troops were immediately dis- 
armed, and search was made through the various apartments. 
#he killedar, or commanding officer of the palace, being en- 
treated, if he had any regard for his own life, or that of the Sul- 
taun, to inform the British where he was concealed, he laid his 
hand upon the hilt of Major Allan's sword, and in the most so- 
lemn manner protested that the Sultauu was not in the palace. 
but that he had been wounded during the assault, and lay in a 
gateway in the north face of the fort, Avhither he offered to con- 
duct the party, saying that if it was found that he had deceived 
them, the general might inflict on him whatever punishment he 
pleased. General Baird, on hearing the report of the killedar, 
proceeded to the gateway, which was covered Avith many hun- 
dreds of the slain. The number of the dead, and the darkness 
of the place, made it difficult to distinguish one person from 
another, and the scene was altogether shocking ; but aware of 
the great political importance of ascertaining beyond the possi- 
bility of. doubt the death of Tippoo, the bodies were ordered to 
be dragged out, and the killedar and the other two persons with 
him were desired to examine them one after another. This, how- 
ever, appeared endless; and as it was now becoming dark, a light 
was procured, and Major Allan accompanied the killedar into 
the gateway. During the search they discovered a wounded 
person laying under the Sultaun's palanquin : this man was 
afterwards ascertained to be Rajah Cawn, one of Tippoo's 
most confidential servants. He had attended his master during 
the whole of the day; and, on being made acquainted with the 
object of the search, immediately pointed out the spot where the 
Sultaun had fallen. By a faint, glimmering light, it was difficult 
for the killedar to recognise the features ; but the body being 
brought out, and satisfactorily proved to be that of the Sultaun, 



56 

was conveyed in a palanquin to the palace, where it was \ 
nised by the eunuchs and other servants of the family. 

When the Sultaun was first brought from under the gateway, 
his eyes were open, and the body was so warm that for a fev 
moments Colonel Wellesley, who, with his accustomed activity, 
was then on the spot, was doubtful whether he was not alive; but, 
on feeling his pulse and heart, that doubt was removed. The 
countenance was no way distorted, but had an appearance of 
calm composure. His turban, jacket, and sword-belt, were gone ; 
but the body was recognised by his people ; and an officer who 
was present, with the leave of General Baird, tore off from his 
right arm the talisman which contained, sewed up in pieces oi 
fine flowered silk, an amulet of a brittle metallic substance of 
the colour of silver, and some manuscripts in magic Arabic, and 
Persian characters. The body was placed in his palanquin, and 
conveyed to the court of the palace, showing him, who had leit 
that palace in the morning a mighty prince, now brought back a 
lump of clay, and his kingdom overthrown!* 

* Tippoo Sultaun, at the time of his downfall, was about fifty -two years of 
age. His constitution was much impaired, and he was subject to two dis- 
orders, the frequent return of which kept him under a constant course of 
medicine. In person he was from five feet eight to nine inches high, and 
rather inclined to fat, although formerly very thin ; his face was round, with 
large full eyes; and there was much animation and fire in his countenance ; 
he wore whiskers, but no beai'd ; was very active, and sometimes took very 
long walks. He had eleven children ; but only two of these were born in 
marriage, a girl and boy. 

His disposition was naturally cruel ; his temper was passionate and revenge- 
ful ; he was prone to be abusive, but his words were often false and hypo- 
critical, as best 6uited his purposes. He professed himself to be a Jfaib, or 
forerunner to one of the Twelve Prophets whom the Mahometans believe are 
yet to come ; and under this pretence he persecuted all other casts, forcing 
numbers to become Mussulmen. In the war of 1790, in particular, when he 
had ravaged the country of the Nairs on the Malabar coast, it was computed 
that upwards of twenty thousand persons had suffered under his persecutions in 
the short space of about four months. The men who refused to submit to cir- 
cumcision were hanged on the trees surrounding the villages ; and the women 
of the cast, the noblest in India, on refusing to adopt the Mahometan custom of 
revering their bosoms, which they consider as a mark of degradation and 



37 

Every delicacy was shown to the remains of the unfortunate 
chief ; and the preparations for his funeral were superintended 
by the principal Cansce of Seringapatam, every article which 
lie thought proper to order being provided, in order that the ce- 

■slavery, had their breasts cut off, and suffered many other insults and indig- 
nities. Shortly after this, he had nearly lost his life in an attack on the lines of 
Travancore, where he was forced to leave his palanquin behind him, together 
•with his pistols, and a small signet or seal ring which he usually wore, and 
which the editor of these sheets has seen, and so very small that the finger on 
which it was worn must have been delicate in the extreme. His wealth, after 
the conclusion of the first war with England, was very great. In an inventory 
which he caused to be taken of it, there were enumerated 700 elephants 
6,000 camels, 11,000 horses, 400,000 bullooks and cows, 1 00,000 buffaloes, 
600,000 sheep, 300,000 firelocks, 300,000 matchlocks, 200,000 swords and 
cresses, or daggers, and 2,000 guns of different calibres in Seringapatam and 
his other fortresses : and his total revenue amounted to five crores and ninety- 
two lacks of pagodas, worth three rupees each. 

His policy, however, arising from his prejudices, was inimical to his in- 
terest ; for the revenues diminished greatly after hi6 father's death, partly 
from his removing all the Brachmans and others of the Hindoo cast, who 
■were well versed in country business, from the offices of collection, and partly 
from his' forbidding the sale of arrack and gunja throughout his dominions, 
which had formerly produced a very considerable revenue. 

Upon the whole, though this man was certainly a very extraordinary cha<- 
racter, yet his abilities have been undoubtedly overrated : and it is now con- 
sidered that he was neither so good a statesman, nor so able a general, as 
has often been represented. Selfish, cunning, and rapacious, he acted upon 
narrow principles, both in government and war ; and was greatly deficient 
in that comprehension and vigour of mind which are essential ingredients 
in the composition of all true greatness ; though it must be confessed that he 
possessed a considerable share of prudence, and was not wanting either in 
promptitude or judgment. 

The consequence of all this was, that his revenue regulations, though 
framed with great ability, and apparently well calculated to enrich both the 
prince and people, were frustrated in their operations by his shifting and 
narrow policy ; and the same contrast ran through all his conduct and all his 
character, both political and military. 

His revengeful disposition may be easily conceived from the following cu- 
rious extract from one of his own MSS. 

" The means I have taken to keep in remembrance the misfortunes I ex- 
perienced six years ago (alluding to the war with Lord Cornwallis) from the 
wialiGe of my enemies, arfi to discontinue sleeping on a. cotton bed, and to 
8 



reinohy might be performed with as much pomp as circumstan- 
ces would admit of. Indeed Colonel Wellesley, who was then 
appointed commandant, gave directions not only that four flank 
companies of Europeans should attend, but also that minute guns 
should be fired during the interval, a mark of respect which the 
Prince Abdul Khalic at first declined the acceptance of, until he 
was convinced of its true intent. 

On the morning of the 5th of May, Colonel Wellesley relieved 
General Baird ; and on the following day was appointed to the 
permanent command of Seriugapatam, as noticed above, on which 
occasion he with the greatest promptitude used every means in 

make use of a cloth one; when I am victorious, I shall resume the bed of 
Cotton." 

His thoughts were constantly bent on war and military preparations. He 
lias been frequently heard to say, tbat in this world he would rather live two 
days like a tiger, than two hundred years like a sheep ; and, something on 
this principle, he adopted the figure of the royal tiger as a species of ar- 
morial bearing, and as the emblem of his state. His father had chosen the 
elephant. 

The title of " Lion of God" was formerly given by Mahomet to his son- 
in-law, A li, to denote tbe prowess and valour by which he signalized himself 
in fighting under the prophet's banners. Innumerable, indeed, are the tra- 
ditions and records of the deeds of this celebrated warrior ; and he seems to 
have been a second Jack the Giant Killer, as many of the romantic tales of 
the Moor-men have him as their hero. On his example Tippoo was anxious 
to form himself; and him he adopted a9 the guardian genius, or tutelary" 
saint, of his dominions. It was natural, therefore, for him to assume his 
name ; and accordingly upon his sabres and other arms he had a cipher cut 
in Arabic characters, signifying " the Lion of God is the conqueror ;" and 
these letters were so artfully arranged as to bear some resemblance to a 
tiger's face ; and it is perhaps likely that the assumption of the tiger as his 
own emblem was as much in honour of Ali as boastfully indicative of his own 
disposition, for the natives of Hindoostan make no distinction between the 
tiger and the lion. 

It was a favourite maxim with him that kings should be inflexible in their 
orders ; that God had forbidden the use of wine ; and that he should persist 
in exacting a strict obedience to his edicts on that subject. Yet, with all this 
inflexibility, his conversation was remarkably lively, entertaining, and instruc- 
tive ; and, dming his meals, he was fond of reciting passages of the most ad- 
mired historians and poets ; and sometimes amused himself with sarcasm* 
upon the infidels, and the enemies of his government. 



- 59 

his power to prevent every kind of excess. Public notice was 
given that severe examples would be made of any persons detect- 
ed in the act of plundering the houses, or molesting the inhabitants ; 
four men were in consequence executed for plundering, and the 
most perfect tranquillity was immediately restored. These exam- 
ples, and the personal activity of the colonel himself, who went into 
all the houses of the principal inhabitants to establish safeguards, 
soon produced a general confidence ; the inhabitants, who had 
fled on the night of the storm, returned to their habitations, and 
resumed their usual occupations ; in a few days the bazars were 
stored with all kinds of merchandise and provisions, for which 
there was a ready and advantageous sale ; and an eyewitness 
declares that three days after the storm, the principal streets were 
so crowded as to be almost impassable, presenting rather the ap- 
pearance of a fair than of a captured city. 

The first important duty which fell upon Colonel Wellesley 
after the capture, he being one of the commissioners* appointed 
for the final regulation and establishment of the new conquest, 
was the removal of the families of Hyder AH and Tippoo Sul- 
taun from Seringapatam to the Carnatic. The details of this 
delicate office, of this painful but indispensable measure, fell to 
his lot as commandant ; and though his conduct and regulations 
were considered as subject to such suggestions as might be offer- 
ed by the other members of the commission, yet it has been well 
said, that to his prudential precautions, which the occasion re- 

* In detailing the steps necessary for tlus delicate business, the governor ge- 
neral in his instructions observed, that it could not be intrusted to any person 
more likely to combine every office of humanity, with the prudential precau- 
tions required, than Colonel Wellesley; and he therefore committed to his 
discretion, activity, and humanity, the whole arrangement; but subject always 
to such suggestions as might be offered by the other commissioners. He added 
that Colonel Wellesley, in his name, would give the most unequivocal as- 
surances of protection and indulgence to every part of the family ; and that 
he was persuaded that the humanity of General Harris would induce him to 
exert every effort to mitigate all the rigorous parts of this necessary and most 
expedient revolution, so loudly called for by a due regard to British interest* 
s>nd "he welfare of the natives themselves. 



60 

quired to prevent the possibility of commotion or escape, to his 
discretion, activity, and humanity, throughout the whole of this 
arduous and difficult task, is justly ascribed the facility with 
which it was accomplished. 

Information having been given that a quantity of jewels were 
concealed in the seraglio, application was made to Colonel 
Wellesley, the commandant, for permission to search, which he 
readily granted ; and the proper notice being given to remove the 
women from the apartments which it was intended to examine, 
the gentlemen deputed for that service proceeded to the task. 
They were disappointed, however, in their object, for they did 
not fled any thing of value ; and it was ascertained afterwards, 
that Tippoo never intrusted his women with the care of his 
jewels, or even of their own. 

On this examination it appeared that there were in all, inclu- 
ding some of the wives and other ladies of the late Hyde^s family, 
six hundred and fifty females in the seraglio and palace ; a 
number almost equalling those of Solomon himself. 

This business at first made some noise ; and the governor ge- 
neral, in a subsequent despatch, observed, that he had heard, with 
the utmost degree of surprise and concern, that the zenana, or 
women's apartment, in the palace of the Sultaun, was searched ; 
and added that he could have wished, for the honour of the Bri- 
tish name, that the apartments of the Aromen had not been disturb- 
ed. He acknowledged that in the heat and confusion of an as- 
sault, such excesses are no doubt frequently unavoidable ; but 
that he should ever lament that this scene should have been act- 
ed long alter the contest had subsided, and when the whole place 
had submitted to the superiority of our victorious arms. He 
then observed that if any personal ornaments, or other articles of 
value, were taken from the women in that unfortunate moment, 
lie trusted that the commander in chief would jnake it his busi- 
ness to vindicate the humanity of the British character, by using 
the most aealous exertions to obtain a full restitution of the pro- 
perty in question. After this observation, he hinted that he 
thought it superfluous to add his most anxious expectation <hat 



61 

the utmost degree of care would be taken to secure the personal 
property of the princes, and of the women, when the period of 
their removal should arrive. 

To this remonstrance the commissioners subsequently replied, 
assuriug him that before the zenana was searched for treasure, 
separate apartments were prepared for the ladies, and no precau- 
tion omitted to secure them from the possibility of being exposed 
to any inconvenience. 

Upwards of ten lacks of rupees worth of jewels, and the amount 
of 500 camel loads of muslins, shawls, rich cloths, and various 
kinds of merchandise, were found as prize to the captors. 

The Sultaun's throne, being too unwieldly to be carried away, 
was broken up ; it was a howdar or armed seat, upon a tiger, co- 
vered with sheet gold ; the ascent to it was by silver steps, gilt, 
having silver nails, and all the other fastenings of the same metaLr 
The canopy was alike superb, and decorated with a costly 
fringe of fine pearls all around it. The eyes and teeth of the ti- 
ger were of glass. It was valued at 60,000 pagodas, upwards of 
25,0001. sterling. The sheet gold alone was estimated at 40,000 
pagodas. Every inch of the howdar contained an Arabic sen- 
tence, chiefly from the Koran, superbly stamped, being raised 
and polished in the most beautiful manner. 

A gold figure of a bird, covered over with the most precious 
stones, was fastened to the top of the canopy ; its beak was a large 
emerald; its eyes carbuncles; the breast was covered with dia- 
monds ; and the wings, which were expanded as if in the act of 
hovering, were completely lined with diamonds ; on the back 
were many large jewels, well and fancifully disposed ; the tail., 
which resembled a peacock's, was also studded in the same man- 
ner ; and the Avhole so arranged as to imitate the plumage, yet 
so closely set that the gold was scarcely visible. 

A number of tigers were found in the palace yard ; but thesfc 
were all ordered to be shot to prevent accidents. 

Greater part of this treasure had been the plunder of the un- 
happy Mysore family, and of many other infexior rajahs. There 
was every thing, in short, which money or force could procure. 



t?3 

Amidst all the apparent immensity of confusion, every thing 
was regularly labelled and arranged ; and Tippoo himself, whose 
desire of hoarding was insatiable, always passed the greatest 
part of his leisure time in reviewing this varied and splendid 
assemblage of his riches. 

It is a remarkable fact, that the public despatches to or from 
the different presidencies and officers with Lord Cornwallis, 
and such other public or private letters as were intercepted by 
Tippoo during the preceding war, were all found in the palace. 
They were carefully packed up ; and, what is more remarkable, 
not more than three or four of the letters had ever been opened, 
the seals of all the others being entire. 

During the subsequent search Tippoo's only brother, Kerim 
Saheb, was found in a dungeon with heavy irons on his hauds and 
feet ; he had languished in that horrid condition for many years, 
from an unfounded fit of jealousy that the tyrant had conceived 
against him. 

The primary objects of the commander in chief's attention, after 
the fall of this fortress, were to disband the late Sultaun's army, 
and to obtain possession of the principal strong holds throughout 
his dominions. 

The measures necessary for effecting the first of these objects 
were accordingly taken, through the agency of Purneah. The 
Sillahdar horse, of their own accord, returned to their lands ; 
the corps, formerly Lally's, surrendered ; and the Europeans 
composing it, together with those Under M. Chapuy, recently 
arrived from the Mauritius, were secured, and immediately sent 
as prisoners of war into the Carnatic. 

The army of Bombay, which had joined the main array during 
the siege, were detached to take possession of the Canara coun- 
try ; and circular letters were sent to all the killedars, or com- 
manders of the various fortresses, requiring the surrender of 
their posts to the British arms, and giving them general assu- 
rances of favour and protection, all which were atteuded to, and 
every thing soon arranged in the most amicable manner. 

The villagers immediately returned to their occupations 
?, 



63 

throughout the whole country; and in a very short time the 
strongest symptoms appeared of a general disposition to submit 
to the orders of the British government, without opposition or 
reluctance. 

On a further investigation of the palace, all the records of 
Tippoo's government were fortunately secured, and were found 
to contain the whole of his correspondence with the French. 

In one of these he told them that he acknowledged the sublimi- 
ty of their constitution ; and, as a proof of his sincerity, he pro- 
posed to their nation a treaty of alliance and fraternity, forever 
indissoluble ; and to be founded on republican principles of sin- 
cerity and good faith ; and he concluded by exclaiming — " Hap- 
py moment ! the time is come when I can deposite in the bosoms 
of my friends the hatred which I bear against those oppressors 
of the human race. If you will assist me, in a short time not an 
Englishman shall remain in India ! you have the power and the 
aieans of effecting it, by your free negroes. With these new 
citizens, (much dreaded by the English,) joined to your troops of 
the line, we will purge India of those villains ! The springs 
which I have touched have put all India in motion ; my friends 
are ready to fall upon the English," &c. 

The British government had now a very difficult part to per- 
form ; for the necessity now occurred of determining in what 
hands the new government of the Mysore should be placed. It 
seemed expedient, indeed, that a choice should instantly be made 
between the pretensions of the family of Tippoo Sultaun, and 
those cf the ancient house of the Rajahs of Mysore, neither of 
whom, however, were considered as having any absolute right or 
title to the throne. 

As the Earl of Moi'nington feelingly expressed himself, in one 
of his public despatches, the claims of humanity, on both sides, 
rendered the decision a painful and ungracious task. No alter- 
native remained in fact, but to depose that dynasty which was 
found upon the throne, or to confirm the Mahometan usurpation 
and with it the perpetual exclusion and degradation of the legi^ 
tiraate Hindoo sovereigns of those count rif =. 



64 

The governor concluded that all motives of policy favoured 
the restoration of this ancient family, and he was induced to 
adopt the resolution of preferring the descendant of the Rajahs 
of Mysore to the heir of Tippoo Sultaun. 

The governor general, therefore, issued a commission appoint- 
ing Colonel Wellesley, along with General Harris, the honoura- 
ble Henry Wellesley, and Lieutenant Colonels Kirkpatrick and 
Close, as commissioners for the affairs of the Mysore ; and the 
first step undertaken by them was to make provision for the sur- 
viving officers aod chiefs of the late Sultaun, and for the families 
of those slain during the campaign. 

The next important duty of Colonel Wellesley, as a commis- 
-ioner, was to undertake the painful but necessary task of re- 
moving the families of Hyder Ali and Tippoo Sultaun from 
vSeriugapatam to the Carnatic, for which purpose the fortress of 
Vellore was prepared for their reception, with payment of sti- 
pends allotted to both families, and every accommodation suitable 
fo their former rank and expectations. 

Colonel Wellesley, and the other commissioners, with a degree 
of consideration highly praiseworthy, had, previously to the de- 
parture of the princes from Seringapatam, cautiously abstained 
from all intercourse with the family of the Rajah of Mysore ; 
but the moment the four eldest sons of Tippoo had left that capi- 
tal, Colonel Wellesley paid a visit to the young Rajah, whom he 
found, along with others of his persecuted family, in a condition 
of poverty and humiliation which excited the strongest emo- 
tions of compassion. The particulars of this interesting visit 
were fully detailed by the. commissioners, in a despatch to the 
governor general, in which they state, that having signified 
through Purneah, a confidential friend of the family, the general 
outlines of the plan intended for their restoration to their original 
rank, a written answer was sent by the grandmother and aunt of 
the Rajah, then only a child of five years old, in which they 
expressed the greatest happiness at the pleasing prospects before 
them. They added, " Forty years have elapsed since our go- 
vernment ceased* INow you have favoured our boy with the go- 



• 65 

vernment of this country, and nominated Purneah to be his de- 
wan, (or minister,) we shall, while the sun and moon continue, 
commit no offence to your government. We shall at all times 
consider ourselves as under your protection and orders; your 
having established us must ever be fresh in the memory of our 
posterity from one generation to another. Our offspring can 
never forget an attachment to your government, on whose sup- 
port we shall depend." 

Colonel Wellesley, and three of the other commissioners, im- 
mediately signified their intention of paying their personal re- 
spects to the family in the evening, and proceeded to their resi- 
dence accompanied by Purneah ; but although every preparation 
was made for their reception, yet the misery in which they 
found them was almost indescribable. A portion of the apart- 
ment in which they were received was concealed by a curtain, 
behind which the Rana, or queen mother, and the other rela- 
tives were seated. The male part of the family received them 
with expressions of gratitude and joy proportioned to the mag- 
nitude of the benefits conferred on them, and to the state of ob- 
scurity and indigence from which they were now to be relieved, 
and in which they had been kept by Hyder and his son ever 
since the first usurpation. 

On communicating, through Purneah, the general outline ot 
the plan in their behalf, the Rana, in a most eloqueut and ener- 
getic reply, expressed the lively sense which she entertained of 
British generosity, which had thus raised her and her family 
from the lowest state of human misery to that station of which 
they had been deprived by tyranny and usurpation. She dwelt 
particularly on the persecution to which she and her family had 
been exposed from the cruel, savage, and relentless disposition 
of the late Tippoo Sultaun : but, she added, that the generosity 
of the India Company having restored the ancient rights of her 
house, in the person of her grandson, had opened to her a pros- 
pect of passing the remainder of her days in peace. 

This venerable lady was the second wife of the Rajah who 
reigned at the time of Hyder's usurpation : her name Letchima 
9 



66 • * 

Amany, the second wife of Kisna Raige Worrier ; the mater- 
nal auat of the young chief was Dewaj Amany, the second wife 
of Chiaum Ra'ge.. his father, who had married eight wives, the 
young Hajah's mother and this lady being sisters. 

The Rajah hiirself was a boy of five years old, of a delicate 
habit, his complexion rather fair than otherwise, and his coun- 
tenance very expressive. He betrayed some symptoms of alarm 
on the first arrival of Colonel Wellesley and his friends, but 
these soon disappeared ; though he showed himself upon the 
whole rather of a timid disposition, from having suffered consi- 
derably from restraint. He soon, however, began to feel the 
importance of his situation, and to confirm the good opinion 
formed of him at first ; and, during the subsequent ceremony of 
his inauguration, his couduct was so remarkably decorous as 
scarcely to have been expected. 

It was then determined on, instead of bringing them to Serin- 
gapatam, that the ancient town of Mysore, as the most eligible 
situation for the seat of government, should be appointed for their 
residence : and on the 30th of June Colonel Wellesley, assisted 
by his brother commissioners, had the gratification of formally 
placing the young Rajah upon the throne of his ancestors. 

In this ceremony every attention was paid to the prejudices 
of the native inhabitants ; and the Brachmans having fixed on 
the month as the most auspicious moment for placing Kistna 
Rajah Oodiaver in his new sovereignty, the Rajah and his fami- 
ly were removed from Seringapatam to Mysore, where the best 
preparations were made for their accommodation that circum- 
stances would admit of, whilst General Harris, attended by his 
suite, and an escort of European cavalry, arrived there in order 
to preside on the occasion. 

On the auspicious morning, Colonel Wellesley and the other 
members of the commission, accompanied by Meer Allum Ba- 
hauder, the Nizam's general, and his son Meer Dowran, and pre- 
ceded by the J 2th regiment of foot, proceeded to the Rajah's 
residence, where the ceremony of inauguration took place before 
a great crowd of spectators, so happy at the circumstance, that. 



67 



as the commissioners declared, it would have been difficult to 
describe the joy which was visible in their countenances. 

That part of the ceremony which consisted of placing the Ra- 
jah on the Musnud was performed by General Harris, as senior 
commissioner, and by Meer Allum, each of whom took a hand of 
the youthful prince, to whom, soon after, General Harris pre- 
sented the seal and signet; the whole taking place under three 
volleys of musketry from the troops on the spot, and a royal 
salute from the guns of Seringapatam. 

After this arrangement Colonel vf ellesley was confirmed by 
the governor general in the command of Seringapatam, as a trust 
of great delicacy and importance, and which, in his public des- 
patches, he said he considered as his duty to repose in a person 
of approved military talents and integrity. 

The whole of these important arrangements, in which Colonel 
Wellesley took so distinguished and so active a share, being thus 
happily finished, it is by no means irrelevant, in forming a judg- 
ment of his services, to look at the actual state of India in conse- 
quence of them. 

From the period of the first war with Hyder Ali, the tranquil- 
lity of the Company's possessions had been continually menaced 
by the chiefs of Mysore ; and even in the intervals of peace 
which succeeded the various contests with Hyder and Tippoo, 
the security of all our territory in the Carnatic had been very 
uncertain : for, notwithstanding these cessations of actual hostili- 
ties, still the designs of those princes had been uniformly hostile, 
and the baneful effects of this perpetual state of uncertainty and 
solicitude had not only put the Company to an extraordinary ex- 
pense, but had been felt by the natives themselves, in the decay 
of agriculture, and of the arts of peaceful industry. 

To this it must be added, that the other consequences of this 
hostile feeling were, a rebellious spirit in certain descriptions of 
the Company's native subjects, a diminution of British influence 
and consideration at the native courts, the rising hopes of the tur- 
bulent and disaffected, the decline of public and private credit, 
and the constant necessity of guarding against surprise from the 



68 

sudden aggression of an enemy whom no clemency or modera- 
tion could conciliate, and no faith could bind. 

The fall of Seringapatam, therefore, under all the circumstan- 
ces which accompanied that event, placed the whole kingdom of 
Mysore, with all its resources, at the disposal of the Company ; 
and thus, the only power in India to which the French could 
look for assistance, or which could be deemed formidable to Bri- 
tish interests, was now completely destroyed. Other advantages 
might also be expected to, and did, flow from these events ; as 
they served as a salutary lesson to the various native princes of 
India, proving to them the danger of violating their public en- 
gagements, and of inviting foreign invasion, for the prosecution 
of schemes of ambition and hatred against the British power. 

The balance of power of the whole empire was thus thrown 
into the hands of Britain, presenting an irresistible force, and en- 
abling her either to concentrate the most efficient part of the resour- 
ces of the Mysore in Dae mass, for the single object of her own de- 
fence, against auy possible combination, jr to throw the same 
weight into that scale which might appear to require such an aid 
in order to preserve the general tranquillity, on the solid basis of 
justice and moderation. 

The consequences, in a pecuniary point of view, to the Com- 
pany, by the final arrangements of territory, were very great. 
There was an augmentation of direct revenue of upwards of two 
and a half millions sterling, whilst the subsidiary treaty with 
the new Rajah gave them as much more ; the whole making a 
neat annual increase of p.bout four millions. 

Nor did the country itself suffer ; for it is a pleasing reflec- 
tion, that the inhabitants soon returned to their ancient customs ; 
the deserted villages were soon repeopled; and, under the foster- 
ing hands of British protection, the fertile environs of Seringapa- 
tam soon began to flourish in a renewed state of peaceful culti- 
vation. 

The army being anxious to otfer the Earl of Mornington, as 
they expressed themselves, some mark of its high esteem for the 
wisdom which had prepared and directed the whole operations, 



69 

caused a star and badge, of the order of St. Patrick, to be pre- 
pared, in which as many of the jewels as could be found suitable 
were taken from the treasury of Tippoo. These were enclosed 
in a golden box and sent to General Harris, with a request that 
he would transmit them to the governor general. 

His lordship's answer on this occasion was highly honourable 
to his feelings ; and he expressed himself sincerely desirous of 
accepting the gift of the army, and of wearing it as an emblem of 
their glory, and of their good will ; he also expressed himself 
satisfied that it never was in the contemplation of the legislature 
of Great Britain to prohibit the acceptance of such honorary 
marks of distinction ; but as a careful examination of the whole 
business had convinced him that he could not accept of it with- 
out violating the letter of existing statutes, and creating a prece- 
dent which might hereafter become the source of injury to the 
public service, he, therefore, was under the necessity of declining 
this flattering mark of their approbation. 

This self denial of the noble governor general was duly appre- 
ciated at home ; and he not only shared fully in the thanks of 
the nation, expressed through both houses of parliament, to all 
those connected with the brilliant conduct and issue of the war, 
but also received a signal mark of his sovereign's favour and ap 
proval by an elevation to a marquisate and a British barony. 

The tranquillity of India, dependent upon those transactions, 
permitted Colonel Wellesley, for a short time, to enjoy his well 
earned fame* amidst the blandishments of peace ; but we shall 
now see him engaging in a more arduous warfare as a command- 
ing officer, and with all the responsibility attached to that cha- 
racter. 

In the year 1800, the tranquillity of the Mysore country be 

* In the general orders of the 5th of May, he was particularly noticed. " On 
referring to the progress of the siege, so many occasions have occurred for ap- 
plause to the troops, that it is difficult to particularize individual merit ; hut 
the gallant manner in which the honourable Colonel Wellesley (with others} 
conducted the attacks on the several outworks and posts of the enemy de- 
serves to be particularly recorded." 



70 

came much disturbed by a freebooter of the name of Dhoondiah 
JVaugK whose force soon increased to such an alarming extent 
as to threaten the security of the Company's possessions, and also 
the territories of their allies, on the western borders of the penin- 
sula. It was necessary, therefore, to send a force for the sup- 
pression of this predatory system ; and the governor general at- 
tached such a degree of political importance to the whole trans- 
action, and reposed such implicit confidence in the talents of his 
brother, as to give the command of the expedition to Colonel 
Wellesley, from whose exertions, both political and military he 
expected the most solid and extensive advantages would accrue. 

Colonel Wellesley, therefore, having assembled a sufficient 
British and native force, proceeded on his mission; and crossing 
the Malpurba at Jellahaul, on the 3d of September, entered the 
territories of the Nizam at Hanamsagur on the 5th. Colonel 
Stevenson, who had a force under his command to cooperate in 
this service, being obliged to cross the river in boats, was not 
able to advance until the day preceding; and as it appeared pro- 
bable that when Dhoondiah should be pressed by the whole of 
the force on the northern side of the Duab, he would i-eturn into 
Savanoreby Kannagherry and Bopuhand would thus impede the 
communication ; or, if favoured by the Patans of Cannoul, and 
the Polygars on the right bank of the Tumbundra, he would 
pass that river, and would enter the territories of Mysore, Co- 
lonel Wellesley determined to lead his detachment to the south- 
ward, and to prevent the execution of either of these designs, if 
he had them. He also resolved, afterwards, to push him to the 
eastward, and to take such advantage of his movements as might 
turn up, while Colonel Stevenson should move by Moodgul and 
ISTohsry, at the distance of between twelve and twenty miles 
from the Kistna, and the Mnhratta and Mogul cavalry then col- 
lected in one body between the British force and the corps of the 
freebooters. 

In pursuance of this plan he arrived with his little army at 
Kannagherry on the 7th, and on the 8th moved with the cavalry 
to Baswapoor, arriving on the following day at Yepalperwy ; the 



71 

infantry being at Howley and Shinuoor, about fifteen miles in the 
rear. On the 9th, in the morning, Dhoondiah moved from 
Malgherry, a place about twenty-five miles from Rachoor, at 
width he had been encamped for some days, towards the Kistna; 
but on his road having seen Colonel Stevenson's camp, he re- 
turned and encamped about nine miles in front of Colonel Wel- 
lesley's force; it was clear, however, that he did not know of 
the near approach of the British, beiieving them still to be at 
Shinnoor. 

On the 10th, in the morning, the colonel moved forward with 
his force, and met Dhoondiali's army at a place called Conag- 
hull, about six miles from Yepalperwy, being then on their 
march to the westward, apparently with the design of passing 
between the British and native detachments. At this period 
Dhooudiah's army consisted of 5,000 cavalry, which Colonel 
Wellesley immediately attacked with his little force, consisting 
only of the 19th and 25th dragoons, and 1st and 2d regiments of 
native cavalry. 

Dhoondiah was strongly posted, with his rear and left flank 
covered by the village and rock of Conaghull, and he stood the. 
attack for some time with apparent firmness ; but such was the 
rapidity and determination of the charge, made by the four regi- 
ments, which their gallant and judicious commander was obliged 
to form in one liue, in order to bear some proportion in length 
to that which they had to attack, that the whole of the enemy's 
line gave way, and were pursued for many miles with great 
slaughter. In the retreat many, among whom was Dhoondiah 
himself, fell : and the whole of the remainder were dispersed and 
scattered in small parties over the face of the country. Part of 
the enemy's baggage was still remaiuing in his camp, about three 
miles from Conaghull. The colonel returned thither, and got 
possession of all the elephants, camels, and every thing they 
had. 

This total defeat and dispersion of the rebels, and, abovr 
all, the death of Dhoontliah, put a complete end to the warfare, 
and freed the government from all fears for the tranquillity of tf»e 



71 

country; and the whole business was most handsomely completed 
by Colonel Stevenson, who at Deodroog, on the very day of the 
action, came up with and took the only two remaining guns the 
enemy possessed, together with a quantity of baggage, all 
the remaining camels, bullocks, &c. throwing the whole body 
into confusion, taking many prisoners, and dispersing the rest. 

In all the details of the action Colonel Wellesley gave the 
greatest credit to Colonel Stevenson, to the movements of whose 
detachment he considered himself as indebted for the opportunity 
of destroying one who might have become a formidable opponent 
of the British government. 



73 



SECTION III. 

Colonel Wellesley destined for new services, but resumes his command in 
the Mysore — Preliminary observations — Gradations of military rank — 
Rise of the Mahratta state — Anecdotes of Scindiah — Scindiah's politics — 
Attacks on the power of the Peishwah — Liberal policy of the Marquis of 
Wellesley — Subsidiary treaties with the country powers — Balance of power 
in Hindostan — French intrigues — French cruelty towards the Great Mogul 
— Preparations for war — Army assembled under Lieutenant General 
Stewart — Lord Clive gives the command of a detached force to Ma- 
jor General Wellesley — March of General Wellesley's force towards 
Poonah — Arrival at Poonah — Grateful reception by the natives — Rein- 
statement of the Peishwah — Political and diplomatic power granted to 
General Wellesley — Force of Scindiah and the confederates— Evasive 
conduct of the Mahratta chiefs — March towards Ahundnegou — Attack of 
that fortress — Storming of the Pettah — Surrender of the fort — Anecdotes 
of the attack — March of the army in pursuit of the confederates — Capture 
•f Jalnapoor — Military operations and advance to Maulniah — March to- 
wards Jlssye — Battle of Assye— Military anecdotes of the battle — Total 
defeat of the enemy — Insidious proposals of the enemy — Battle of Allyghur 
—Capture of that fortress— Battle of Laswarrah — Restoration of the great 
Mogul— Anecdotes of General Lake — Observations political and military 
— Military monument at Calcutta — Further operations — Capture of Asseir 
Ghur — Gallant battle of Argaum — Siege and storm of Gawilghur — Mili- 
tary delineations — General Wellesley concludes treaties with the confede- 
rate Rajahs — General view of the successes of the war — Military and civil 
compliments to Major General "Wellesley—War with Holkar-- Capture of 
Chandore — Gratitude of the natives to the major general — Elected knight 
of the bath — Return to England, &c. &c. &c. 

TRANQUILLITY being restored iu India, by the trans- 
actions with Dhoondiah, and his final overthrow, the great and 
comprehensive mind of the governor general meditated an ex- 
pedition to Batavia, to be commanded by General Baird. In 
the event of the success of this enterprise, a part of the force 
was to have been detached for the purpose of attacking the Mau- 
ritius and the Isle of Bourbon. Colonel Wellesley was destined 
to this important duty. Accordingly, in the month of December, 
1800, he was recalled from his command in the Mysore, and 
quitted his government of Seringapatam, followed by the good 



74 

wishes and prayers of the native inhabitants, and the sinceresi 
testimonies of friendship and respect from the troops under hia 
command ; and was succeeded by Colonel Stevenson. 

From some strange misconception of the powers of the go- 
vernor general, the necessary cooperation of Admiral Rainier, 
then commanding in the Indian seas, could not be obtained for 
this great and desirable object ; and it accordingly fell to the 
ground, certainly very much to the detriment and injury of the 
British interests in India ; but part of the troops, to the amount 
of 5,000 men, proceeded to Egypt under General Baird, to act 
with the army there. 

This circumstance euabled the governor general to avail him- 
self once more of the services of Colonel Wellesley in the My- 
sore; and he was accordingly remanded to the command of 
the forces in that country, and to his government of Seringapa- 
tam. 

It appears that it had been intended that Colonel Wellesley 
should have had a command in the expedition to Egypt ; and he 
was actually gazetted as brigadier general in that country on the 
25th of July, 1301 ; but circumstances, unnecessary to be men- 
tioned here, had changed his destination.* 

In every situation in which we have hitherto seen Colonel 
Wellesley engaged, we have always seen him equal to its duties ; 
but a new scene was now opening, in which he had to attempt the 
two arduous characters of diplomatist and commander in chief, 
having attained the rank of major general, on the 29th of April, 
1802.J 

* It is a curious fact that a letter from Lord Elgin arrived in this country 
dated the Mh of June, 1801, in which he says that Lord Keith had receive J. 
a despatch from Admiral Blanket of the 6th of May in thai year, stating 
the arrival of General Baird and Colonel Wellesley with the Indian army. 

-j- The military career of the Marquis of Wellington, up to his rank a<= 
major general, is as follows : 
Ensign in the 41st regiment, 25th December, 1787. 

Lieutenant 2?d January, 1788. 

Lieutenant - l^th light dragoons, 25th June, 178?. 



75 

The predatory states, composing the Mahratta power, have never 
been united under any regular form of confederation. Still, how- 
ever, a certain degree of union has taken place from the period of 
their first success, and throughout the whole decline of the em- 
pire of the Mogul, producing a vague and indefinite sentiment of 
common interest, founded principally upon their common origin, 
and their religious and civil customs. Ever since the destruc- 
tion of the Mogul power, the same species of indefinite, yet 
acknowledged, confederacy has continued ; and by its influence 
and cooperation, has enabled many of the adventurous chiefs to 
establish states possessed of much political power, and supported 
by a considerable share of military resource. 

This confederated power has long been under the guidance of 
a supreme chief, called the Peishwah. 

At this period Dowlut Rao Scindiah* a powerful chieftain, 

Captain - - 58th, (or Rutlandshire regiment,) SOth June, 1791. 
Captain - - 18th light dragoons, 3 ist October, 1792. 
Major - - - 33d regiment, 30th April, 793. 

Lieutenant Colonel in the 33d (or West Riding) regiment,30th September, 
)793. 
Colonel in the army, 3d May, 179R. 
Brigadier General in Egypt, )7th July, 1801. 
Major General, 29th April, 1802. 

* Scindiah was originally a Rajpoot, born in the village of Chemarconda, 
fiear Poonah. His father subsisted for some time by the cultivation of some 
lands ; but, being dissatisfied with the profession of a husbandman, went and 
entered into the cavalry of Bajee Rao, then a mere trooper, hiring himself 
and men to those who would pay him best. Bajee finding him wise, intelli- 
gent, and discreet, took him from his humble station; and his ingenuity and 
sagacity soon obtained him the command of a small troop, from which he rose 
to consequence. When the Mogul empire was torn by intestine commotions, 
Bajee Rao was detached with a large army into tbe various districts of Malwah, 
&c. to dispossess the emperor's officers, and to usurp the government,? which 
he faithfully executed, making the servants of the emperor tributary ; and 
arranging the whole administration for his employer, the Rajah Saho. On 
this occasion, Ranojee (Scindiah's father) having performed several very gal- 
lant exploits, he was exalted to a high command, and rewarded with large 
grants of land. Dying soon after, he left two legitimate sons, and two illegi- 
timate, the youngest of whom was Mha Rajah Scindiah, who, on the death of 



76 

had impaired the authority of the Peishwah to such an extent, 
as to have completely frustrated every benefit which Lord Corn- 
wallis intended to secure to the British interests by the alliance 
with that supreme officer : for he absolutely usurped the govern- 
ment of Poonah, and had established himself in the vicinity of 
that city with a powerful army, the regular infantry and artillery 
of which had been disciplined, and were then principally com- 
manded, by French officers. 

This influence of Scindiah had been felt by the Marquis of 
Wellesley, even as far back as 1798, when he wished to prevail 
on the Mahratta powers to fulfil the conditions of the subsisting 
alliance against Mysore, in spite of the then otherwise friendly 
intentions of the Peishwah himself, and several of the other 
chiefs. In fact, the hostile chiefs had actually maintained a 
secret and treacherous correspondence with Tippoo until his fall; 
and even after that period by means of emissaries, (under the 
direction and control of Scindiah, who was then absolutely 
paramount in the durbar at Poonah,) had attempted to excite the 
dethroned family, and the remaining pensioned officers of the ' 
late Sultaun, to commence hostilities against the English, and 
foment a rebellion in the Mysore. Still the governor general, 
by a safe and liberal policy, (and who had already offered a 
part of Tippoo's states to the Mahrattas, though the offer was 
refused through Scindiah's influence,) attempted, by propositions 
of the most amicable nature both to Scindiah and the Peish- 
wah, to ward off the expected hostilities on the part of the 
Mahratta powers; but these offers were again all rejected, 
through the policy of Scindiah, who, depending upon his military 
power, and on French assistance, seized the government of 
Poonah, the capital of the Mahratta empire, and absolutely pro- 
hibited the Peishwah from cementing his ties of alliance with 
the company; and eveu compelled him to violate his good faith 
with Britain- at the expense of his reputation, and to the cer- 
tain subversion of his own power as a sovereign prince. 

bis three brothers during various disturbances, inherited the paternal estates/ 
ind aimed at sovereignty iu the dominions of the Mogul, his master. 



77 

At this period the destruction of the hostile force of Mysore, 
accompanied by the consolidation of our alliances with the Ni- 
zam, had left us without a single rival in India, the Mahratta 
powers excepted ; nor could even they become formidable under 
any circumstances, except their union under an enterprising 
chief. Such a crisis, however, had now approached; and it was 
obviously required, by common prudence, to check its influence 
and consequent baneful effects as soon as possible. 

The governor general, therefore, having in 1800 formed a sub- 
sidiary treaty with the Nizam, at the court of Hyderabad, it 
was attempted to extend it to the Mahratta chiefs; and, in 1802. 
was actually put in force with the Gwickwar ; its operation at- 
taching that state to the British interest, and securing to the 
Company a valuable and important territorial establishment in 
the populous and maritime province of Guzarat. 

Even this partial arrangement appeared to afford some securi- 
ty for preserving a due balance between the several states, form- 
ing the Mahratta confederacy, and also to tend in some measure 
to the prevention of any dangerous union among them ; but thr 
then disturbed state of the Mahratta empire had offered a strong 
temptation to France to attempt the favourite object of establishing 
a dominion within the Indian peninsula; and a considerable force 
for that purpose had been introduced under the command of Mon- 
sieur Perron, who, at that period, possessed the sovereign com- 
mand of some extensive countries, on the left bank of the Indue, 
with a revenue of near two millions sterling. At this period,, 
indeed, there were still a few British officers in the service of 
Seindiah ; but it was well known that Perron only waited the 
arrival of some more of his countrymen, in order to dismiss the 
whole of them. In fact, Perron at that moment held both the 
person and nominal authority of the unfortunate Shah Aullum, 
the deposed Mogul emperor, in the most abject and degrading 
subjection ; for the office of Vakeel, or Viceroy, being held by 
the Peishwah, Seindiah, as his deputy nominally, and real master, 
administered the affairs of the Mogul empire, whilst the fiction 
was carried to such a length that Perron called his army the 



78 

• imperial army," and himself a servant and subject of the 
Great Mogul. 

AH the attempts on the part of the governor general to re-esta- 
blish the independence of the Peishwah were now found impracti- 
cable ; yet, notwithstanding this, even as far down as 1302, the 
marquis determined to renew his negotiations for the conclu- 
sion of an improved system of alliance with the court of Poonah, 
as the increased distractions of that state seemed favourable to 
British interests, in consequence of the recent successes of Holkar 
against Sciudiah. 

Holkar, however, was a mere adventurer, an illegitimate son of 
a late chief; and the only boon which could be held out to him 
was that of a secure and permanent establishment under British 
protection, instead of his risking his all for the mere chance of 
acquiring power and plunder at Poonah. 

But Scindiah still maintained his power over the Peishwah, 
and his troops were actually engaged with those of that chief, in 
opposition to Holkar on the 25th of October, 1802, when Holkar 
was victorious. 

In consequence of this defeat, the Peishwah was anxious to 
avail himself of British protection, and soon after fled from his 
dominions, under the patronage of the government of Bombay, 
being conveyed in an English ship from one of his own ports to 
the strong fortress of Severn Droog on the coast of Malabar. 

It was now determined to resort to warlike measures to re- 
strain the power of the hostile chiefs, and, accordingly, a consi- 
derable force was collected from the different presidencies, and 
assembled at Hurryhur, on the north west frontier of the Mysore, 
under the command of Lieutenant General Stewart, who was or- 
dered to adopt the necessary measures for the march of the Bri- 
tish troops into the Mahratta territory, and to detach such a 
force as he thought sufficient for that purpose. 

The high opinion formed of Major General Wellesley by his 
brother now displayed itself; for we are told in the memoir 
drawn up by the marquis himself, that this command of the ad- 
vanced detachment necessarily required the united exertion of 



considerable military talent, and of great political experience and 
discretion. Indeed, this high opinion was not confined to the 
marquis ; for Lord C live also (then governor of the Madras pre- 
sidency, and within whose limits of government the army was 
foimed) was convinced that the trust could not be confided, with 
equal prospects of advantage, to any other person than the subject 
of our biography, whose extensive local knowledge, and personal 
iufluence among the Mahratta chieftai.is, (acquired by his con- 
duct in the command of the Mysore, and by his subsequent vic- 
tories over Dhoondiah and the other refractory chiefs,) appeared 
best calculated to ensure success to the future important opera- 
tions. 

Lord Clive, therefore, gave instructions to Lieutenant General 
•Stewart to that purpose ; and the general having directed a de- 
tachment from the main army to be assembled ready for action, 
consisting of one regiment of European, and three regiments of 
native cavalry, two regiments of European and six battalions of 
native infantry, with a due proportion of artillery, amounting al- 
together to about 9,707 men, together with 2,500 of the Rajah of 
Mysore's cavalry, the command was given to the honourable 
Major General Wellesley, for the purpose of advancing into the 
Mahratta territory. 

The major general advanced from Hurryhur on the 3d of 
March, 1803, and arrived at Turabundra river on the 12th, which 
he then crossed ; his march through the whole of the Mahratta 
territory being most successful ; for the British troops were every- 
where received as friends, and almost all the chiefs in the vici- 
nity of the route of the detachment joined with their forces, 
and accompanied the British army to Poonah. 

This long march, at a season of the year very unfavourable, 
and performed without loss or distress, must be considered as 
highly honourable to the commanding officer, though certainly 
much aided by the amiable conduct of the Jagheerdars and of the 
inhabitants, which must, however, be considered as principally at- 
tributable to the fame which the British army had acquired in 
the campaign under his command against Dhoondiah Waugh. 



80 

The principal causes of success, indeed, were the ability, tem- 
per, activity, and skill of the general, which were most eminent- 
ly displayed in directing the system of the supply and movements 
of the troops, in his prevention of plunder and of all excesses, 
and in his conciliating the inhabitants of the various districts 
through which his route was pursued. 

On the 15th of April, Ilolkar, now the principal chief of the 
rebellious party, had reached Chandore, (about one hundred and 
thirty miles N. N. E. from Poonah,) whilst Ararut Rao alone 
remained in that city with a force of about 1,500 men. At the- 
same time, a subsidiary force under Colonel Stevenson, sent by 
the Nizam, had arrived at Akloos, a town only eight miles from 
the Neera river, and but a short distance from the army of Ge- 
neral Wellesley, who immediately reinforced the colonel with 
the Scotch brigade. 

As Holkar's position was now taken up during a retreat from 
Poonah, it appeared unnecessary to the general to advance all 
his troops to that city for the purpose of effecting the restoration 
of the Peishwah ; and as the country was already much exhaust- 
ed, and'there prevailed a great deficiency of forage, he deter- 
mined to dispose of a great portion of his army in such canton- 
ments that the whole might procure forage and subsistence, and at 
the same time be ready to form a junction with facility, when- 
ever that might be necessary. In pursuance of this plan, he di- 
rected Colonel Stevenson to break up from his position, and 
proceed to Cardoon, where the Nizam's troops were to be quar- 
tered, and then to place himself with the British subsidiary troops 
in a position towards Poonah, and on the Beemah river, near its 
junction with the Mota mola. 

Previous to this, the major general had received informatioH 
from Colonel Close, the British resident at Poonah, that it was 
the intention of Amrut Rao to plunder and burn that city as soon 
as the British troops should appear; and the Peishwah also, then 
at Basseen, sent an urgent request that he would despatch pail of 
the Peishwah'? army towards that place in order to provide for 



81 

the safety of some part of his highness's family still resident 
there. 

As soon, therefore, as he had completed his arrangements, he 
continued his march to Poonah, by the road of Baramooty, de- 
termined, as soon as his army should arrive within the distauce 
of a forced march, to advance himself with the British cavalry 
and the Mahratta troops belonging to the Peishwah, well knowing 
that the latter were not of themselves sufficient to frustrate the 
designs of Am rut Rao. 

Having soon after received intelligence that on the 18th of 
April Amrut Kao was still in the vicinity of Poonah, and that 
he had removed the Peishwah's family to the fortress of Saoghur, 
a measure generally considered as preparatory to the destruc- 
tion of the city, he marched, on the 19th of April at night, over 
a most rugged country, and through a very difficult pass called 
the little Bhoorghaut, about forty miles from Poonah, and arrived 
there on the 20th, at the head of his cavalry, having marched a 
total distance of about sixty miles in thirty-two hours. 

Alarmed by the rapidity of the march of the British troops, 
Amrut Rao, as soon as he heard of their approach, on the morn- 
ing of the 20th, retired with precipitation, not having time to 
put his plaus in execution for the destruction of the place ; 
whilst Major General Wellesley, and his gallant few, were wel- 
comed by the small number of remaining inhabitants as their 
deliverers. 

Arrangements having now been made at Bombay for send- 
ing an escort of about 2,000 men under Colonel Murray 
to protect the Peishwah in his journey towards his capital, 
his highness passed General Wellesley's camp on the 6th of 
May; and on the 13th, attended by his brother and a numerous 
train of the principal chiefs of the empire, he proceeded to the 
city, when, having entered his palace, he resumed his seat upon 
the musnud, or throne, with the usual ceremonies. During this 
procession, in order to heighten the effect, a salute was fired by 
the British troops, which was answered from the fortress of 
11 



82 

Saoghur, and which ceremony was followed by the same from 
the surrounding hill forts, &c. 

Scindiah was now again in arms, with the professed intention 
of opposing Holkar ; but the governor general was doubtful of 
his purposes, having reason to believe that a confederacy actually 
existed between those chiefs, in union with the Rajah of Berar. 
The circumstances which took place in the ensuing months con- 
firmed this opinion ; and, accordingly, in this very delicate crisis 
of affairs, it appeared absolutely necessary, on the part of the 
marquis, to unite the control of all political affairs in the Dekau, 
connected with the negotiations then going on, and with the 
movements of the army, under a distinct local authority, subject, 
indeed, to the governor general in council, but possessing full 
powers to conclude upon the spot whatever arrangements might 
become necessary, either for the final settlement of peace, or for 
the active prosecutiou of the war. It was obvious, then, that these 
powers ought to be held by the commanding officer of the troops ; 
and accordingly the marquis, as he himself states, determined, on 
the 26th of June, to vest them in Major General Wellesley, 
whose alreody established influence amongst the Mahratta 
chiefs, and intimate knowledge of his sentiments concerning the 
British interest in the Mahratta empire, were particularly cal- 
culated to enable that officer to execute the arduous trust re- 
posed in him, with the greatest benefit to the public welfare. 

The major general immediately commenced his political ope- 
rations, and on the 18th of July addressed a letter to the British 
resident, directing him to state to both Scindiah and the Berar 
Rajah, the anxiety with which the British government desired 
the preservation of peace ; and also to observe, that the only 
proof which could be accepted of the sincerity of their amica- 
ble professions was the immediate disbanding of their armies, and 
their return from the Nizam's frontier to their own capitals ; 
and the resident had further orders to say that if these terms 
were not complied with, he had orders to quit Scindiah's camp 
without delay. 

Several evasive attempts were made by the two chieftains to 



avoid a settlement, and it was evident that the defence and 
security of our own rights, and those of our allies, could only be 
maintained by an instant recourse to arms against the united 
forces of those two Rajahs. The season too was so far advanced 
as to press for decision, particularly as the actual prevalence of 
the rainy monsoon, in those provinces which must become the 
theatre of war, was considered as more favourable to our opera- 
tions than to those of the natives, who are unwilling to engage 
in hostilities at that period.* 

It is not necessary to detail the various cooperations intended 
by the troops under General Lake, though they will be noticed 

* By the most accurate accounts received on the subject of the force of 
the enemy, it appears that towards the close of the month of July, the troops 
opposed to Major General "Wellesley, under the immediate command of 
Scindiah and of the Rajah of Berar : in the field, amounted 10 about .'jS^OO ca- 
valry, 0,500 regular infantry, 500 matchlock men, 500 rocket men, and iOO 
pieces of ordnance. Two brigades under Monsieur Dudernaigue and Major 
Brownrigg, amounting to twelve battalions, with a large train of artillery, had 
been ordered to Hindostan, and Major Polhman's brigade had been directed 
to return to Bonrhanpore, leaving with Scindiah only eight battalions consist- 
ing of about 4,500 men ; the Rajah of Berar's infantry amounted to 8,000 
men. These forces were posted at Julgong, a place at the fool of the Adjun- 
tee Ghaut, in the Dekan ; and, in addition to the troops already stated, Scin- 
diah had an advanced party of a few thousand horse dispersed through the 
Adjuntee hills. The force under the immediate command of Monsieur 
Perron, Scindiah's general in the northern provinces of Hindostan, amounted 
to about sixteen or seventeen thousand regular and disciplined infantry, and 
a well proportioned and numerous train of artillery ; together with a body of 
irregular troops, and from fifteen to twenty thousand horse. The head-quar- 
ters of Perron's force were established near Coull, in a commanding situa- 
tion on the frontier of the British possessions, and on the most vulnerable part 
of our extensive oriental empire. 

The local situation of Scindiah's territories, and the nature of his military 
force in Hindostan also, constituted at all times a serious danger to British 
interest; for part of those territories were situated between the Jumna 
and the Ganges, thus interrupting our line of defence in that quarter, whilst 
some of his principal posts were introduced into the centre of our domi- 
nions, which, with the possession of Agra, Delhi, and of the right bank of the 
Jumna, enabled him to command nearly the whole line of our northwestern 
frontier. 

Fide JVeltesley's Historii of the War. 



84 

iu the progress of the narrative ; it is therefore a point most con- 
nected with our main subject to state that Major General Wel- 
lesley, having received information on the 6th of August of the 
failure of the British resident's negotiation, was determined to 
commence hostilities without delay, but was prevented from 
moving by a very heavy rain, which had lasted three days, and 
had rendered the road from Walkee to Ahmednaghur totally im- 
passable. On the 7th it cleared up so much as to permit him to 
commence his march the next day, on which morning he had des- 
patched a messenger to the Killedar of Ahmednagur, requiring 
him to surrender his fort. 

On his arrival in the vicinity of the Peltah, (or town protected 
by the fortress,) General Wellesley offered protection to the 
inhabitants; but it was refused in consequence of the place being 
in the possession of a body of Arabs, supported by a battalion of 
Scindiah's native infantry, and a body of horse encamped in an 
open space between the fort and the Pettah. He immediately 
determined to storm the latter place, and accordingly attacked it 
with the piquets of the infantry, reinforced by the flank com- 
panies of the 78th regiment, under the command of Lieutenant 
Colonel Harness; a second attack took place under the com- 
mand of Lieutenant Colonel Wallace, with the 74th regiment 
and the 1st battalion of the 8th ; whilst Captain Vesey, with the 
ilank companies of the 74th, and the' 1st battalion of the 3d, 
formed a third po'nt of assault. 

The wall surrounding the Pettah was found to be very lofty, 
and defended by towers ; but then it had no rampart, so that 
when the troops had ascended to the attack, they had no ground 
on which they could stand ; and the Arabs, who occupied the 
towers, defended their posts with their accustomed obstinacy. 
They were, however, at length obliged to quit the wall; but fly- 
ing to the houses they continued a destructive fire upon the as- 
sailants, who were also attacked by Scindiah's regular infantry 
after they had entered the Pettah ; notwithstanding this, our 
troops were in a short time completely masters of the whole 
place, though with the loss of some brave officers and men. The 



85 

loss of the enemy, indeed, was much greater, as may be judged 
from the nature of the contest ; and on that very evening all that 
part of their force which was not absolutely necessary for the de- 
fence of the fort went off to the northward, accompanied by the 
greatest part of the Arabs. 

With his accustomed activity the major general reconnoitred 
the ground in the vicinity of the fort on the 9th, and on the 
evening of that day Lieutenant Colonel Wallace, with five com- 
panies of the 74th regiment, and the 2d battalion of the 12th, 
seized a position within four hundred yards of it, on which, in 
the course of the night, a battery was constructed for four guns, 
to take off the defences on the side on which the principal attack 
was proposed. At daylight on the morning of the 10th this bat- 
tery was opened ; and it was so judiciously placed, and was 
served with such effect, as to induce the killedar to propose a 
cessation, in order that he might send a person to treat for a 
capitulation. General Wellesley instantly replied, that he would 
not cease firing until he should have taken the fort, or until the 
killedar should surrender : he told him, however, that he was 
willing to listen to any thing which he might have to communi- 
cate. On the morning of the 11th, therefore, the killedar sent 
out two vakeels, or commissioners, to propose the surrender, on 
condition that he should be allowed to depart with the garrison, 
and to have private property secured ; to which the general con- 
sented to agree; but, well knowing the treachery and evasive 
principles of these gentry, he never ceased firing until five 
o'clock that evening, when the hostages arrived in the British 
camp. On the morning of the 12th of August, 1803, the kille- 
dar marched out of the fort, with a garrison consisting of 1,400 
men ; and the British troops immediately took possession of it. 

The loss of the British was comparatively trifling after the 
8th, owing most undoubtedly to the spirit with which the attacks 
on that day were carried on ; and their acquisition was an object 
of great consequence from the advantageous situation of Ahmed- 
naghur, on the frontiers of the Nizam's territory, not only cover- 
ing Poouah, but serving as an important point of support to all 
1 



the future operations in the northern district. It was in fact 
considered as one of the strongest forts in the country ; and the 
general himself said, in his public despatches, that with the ex- 
ception of Vellore, in the Carnatic, it was the strongest country 
fort lie had seen, and was throughout in excellent repair, except 
that part exposed to the fire of the British artillery. The whole 
number of the assailants killed were 18 Europeans and 12 na- 
tives; wounded, 61 Europeans, 50 natives. As soon as the 
place was in our possession, the general proceeded to take charge 
of all the districts dependent upon it, yielding an estimated annual 
revenue of 650,000 rupees, which districts were placed under 
the temporary management and authority of a British officer. 
Proposing to advance to the Godavery river, the general sta- 
tioned a garrison in the fort sufficient for its retention ; and, hav- 
ing made all other necessary arrangements, he crossed that river 
with the whole of his army on the 24th of August, and having 
arrived at Aurungabad on the 29th, he understood that Dowlut 
Rao Scindiah, and the Rajah of Berar, had on the 24th entered 
the territories of the Nizam, by the Adjuntee Ghaut, with a 
large body of horse. 

They had actually passed between Colouel Stevenson's corps 
(which had moved to the eastward, towards the Badowley 
Ghaut) and Aurungabad, and had proceeded as far as Jalna- 
poor, a small fort, capital of a district of the same name, about 
forty miles east of that city; but no sooner did they hear of the 
arrival of the British troops, than they moved off to the south- 
east, with the reported intention of crossing the Godavery, and 
inarching upon Hyderabad. 

In consequence of this the major general immediately marched 
to the left bank of the Godavery, and continued to the eastward 
by that route ; the river itself, at that period, being fordable in 
every part, a circumstance hitherto unknown at that season of 
the year. 

The precision and rapidity of the movements of General Wel- 
lesley's little army had all the desired effect of preserving the 
territories of our ally from depredation. 



87 

The confederate chieftains, finding that their usual mode of 
predatoiy warfare was not attended with success, determined to 
alter their proposed plan of operations ; and accordingly crossed 
over to the northward, towards the Adjuntee pass, where they 
were reinforced by a detachment of regular infantry, under the 
command of Messieurs Pohlman and Dupont, consisting of six- 
teen battalions, with a numerous and well equipped train of ar- 
tillery; the whole of which force was now collected about Bokcr- 
dum, and between that place and Jaflierabad. 

During this period, the war under General Lake in the north, 
ern parts of India, and the operations of a small Bombay force 
acting against Baroach, were carried on with great brilliancy : 
we must confine ourselves, hoAvever, to the operations of the two 
corps under General Wellesley and Colonel Stevenson, which 
joined on the 21st of September, near to Buduapoor, when it 
was determined that the two divisions should move forward 
separately towards the enemy, and attack them in the morning of 
the 24th. 

The disposition which the confederate Rajahs had hitherto 
evinced, of wishing to avoid an action, and the necessity of ma- 
king a vigorous effort against their main force, afforded no other 
means of effecting this important object, except the one now un- 
dertaken; and, therefore, the two divisions united on the 22d; 
Colonel Stevenson taking the western route, and the general ad- 
vancing on the eastern line of march, round the hills between 
Budnapore and Jalna. 

Having arrived at Naulniah on the 23d, and there received a 
report that Scindiah and the Rajah of Berar had moved off in 
the morning with their cavalry, and that the infantry were about 
to follow, but were still in camp at the distance of about six miles 
from the ground on which he had iutended to encamp, it seemed 
obvious that the proposed attack was no longer to be delayed; 
and having, therefore, provided for the security of his baggage 
' and stores at Naulniah, he marched to the attack. 

The importance and rapidity of this decision are strongly 
illuetrative^of our hero's military character ; for if he had not 



adopted this spirited and judicious resolution, the enemy would 
probably have harassed him during the whole day of the 23d ; 
and, as he could afford no other security to the baggage and 
stores than the entrenchments which he might be able to con- 
struct, it must have been exposed to loss if he had waited until 
the 24th, according to the plan proposed, for the junction of Colo- 
nel Stevenson's detachment; at all events, he would have been 
obliged to leave more than one battalion for their protection. 

There were other imperative reasons for hastening the attack, 
which seemed to have weighed much Avith him ; for he consi- 
dered that by this prompt measure the enemy would be kept in 
complete ignorance of the position of the baggage and stores; 
and as there was every reason to believe that the confederate 
Rajahs would get information of Colonel Stevenson being on his 
march to join for the attack on the following day, it was extreme- 
ly probable, in that case, that they would withdraw their guns 
and infantry in the course of the ensuing night, in order to avoid 
the combined assault of the British forces. The immediate 
attack, therefore, as the Marquis of Wellesley afterwards decla- 
red, was a measure dictated both by prudence and courage. 

The force left at Naulniah, for the protection of the stores, 
consisted of a battalion of Sepoys, and four hundred of a native 
corps ; when the British army moved on towards the confede- 
rates, who were found encamped between, and along, the course 
of two rivers, the Kaitna and the Juah, towards their junction. 
Their line extended east and west along the north bank of the 
Kaitna river, the banks of which are high and rocky, and are 
, impassable for guns, excepting at places close to the villages. 

The enemy's right, consisting entirely of cavalry, was posted 
in the vicinity of Bokerdun, and extended to their line of infan- 
try, which was encamped in the neighbourhood of the fortified 
village of Assye. The British army had already marched four- 
teen miles to Naulniah ; and the distance from that place to the 
enemy's camp being six miles, it was one o'clock in the after- 
noon before the British troops came in sight of the combined 
army of the confederates. 



89 

Although they had arrived in front of the enemy's right, yet 
Major General Wellesley determined,on reconnoitring the ground, 
to commence his attack on the left, where the guns and infantry 
were posted ; .and accordingly he marched' round to their left 
flank, covering the march of the column of British infantry by 
the British cavalry in the rear, and by the Peishwah's and the 
Mysore cavalry on the right flank ; a manoeuvre dictated by the 
consideration that a defeat of their infantry was most likely to be 
effectual. 

The British army now advanced, and the river Kaitna was 
passed at a ford beyond the enemy's left flank, Avhen the general, 
with quick precision, formed the infantry immediately in two 
lines, with the British cavalry as a reserve in a third, in an open 
space between the Kaitna and a nullah, or dry ravine, running 
parallel to it. The Mahratta and Mysore allied cavalry he 
posted on the ground beyond the Kaitna and on the left flank, so 
that they might keep in check a large body of the hostile ca- 
valry, which had followed the right of the British line of march 
from the right of the enemy's position. The first line of the Bri- 
tish army consisted of the advanced piquets to the right, two bat- 
talions of Sepoys, and the 78th regiment; the second line was 
formed by the 74th regiment, and two battalions of Sepoys ; and the 
third consisted of the 19th dragoons with three regiments of na- 
tive cavalry. 

The British army and their allies amounted to no more than 
1,200 cavalry, European and native, 1,300 European infantry 
and artillery, and 2,000 Sepoys; in .all about 4,500 men. 

The enemy's force consisted of sixteen regular battalions of in- 
fantry, amounting to 1 0,500 men, (exclusive of the Rajah of Be- 
rar's infantry, aud the irregulars of Scindiah,) commanded by 
European officers, having a well equipped train of artillery ex- 
ceeding one hundred guns in number, and some very large bodies 
of cavalry, amounting to a number between 30 and 40,000 men. 

As soon as the British troops advanced to the Kaitna river, the 
enemy commenced a heavy cannonade, but with trifling effect ; 
and the moment they discovered that it was General Wellesley's 
12 



90 

intention to attack their left, th«y changed the position both oS 
their artillery and infantry, drawing them off from the line along 
the Raitna, and extending them from that river across to the vil- 
lage of Assye, which lies upon the Juah river, and there flanked 
the right of the British troops. To the rear of this first line, and 
nearly at right angles with it, a second line was formed having its 
left to the village of Assye, and its rear to the Juah river, along 
whose bank it extended in a westerly direction. 

The attack now commenced, and the British troops advanced 
rapidly under a very severe cannonade, whose execution at first 
was terrible. A fire had been commenced, at a distance of four 
hundred yards, by the British artillery ; but General Wellesley 
seeing that it made little impression on the powerful and extensive 
line of the enemy's infantry and guns, and finding that it could 
not advance with sufficient rapidity, on account of the number of 
draught bullocks which had been disabled, immediately ordered 
the artillery to be left behind, and the whole line to move on. 

This was the critical moment ; and it is important to observe, 
that much of the success of the day depended upon the prompt 
and judicious order of the general to Lieutenant Colonel Max- 
well with the British cavalry, directing him to take care of the 
right of the infantry, as the line advanced towards the enemy, 
who, unable to stand the charge, were soon compelled (notwith- 
standing their tremendous cannonade) to fall back upon their 
second line in front of the Juah river. At this time too, the 
casualties in the British line were dreadful ,• the piquets of the 
infantry and the 74th regiment, which were on the right of 
the army, had severely suffered from the fire of the enemy's 
guns on their left near Assye ; and the 74th in particular 
was so thinned by the enemy's cannonade, that a body of cavalry 
was encouraged to charge it, at the very moment when it was 
most exposed to this heavy fire ; but they being in their turn 
charged by the British cavalry under Lieutenant Colonel Max- 
well, they were driven with great slaughter into the river Juah. 

At length, overawed by the gallant and steady advance of the 
British troops, the whole of the enemy's line gave way in every 



91 

direction, and the British cavalry, who had already crossed to 
the northward of the Juah river, now cut in among their broken 
infantry, charging the fugitives along the bank of the river with the 
greatest effect, and with great slaughter. Notwithstanding this 
signal defeat, yet the small number of the British had not permitted 
General Wellesley to secure all the advantages gained in the 
heat of the action ; so that many of the enemy's guus, which had 
been left in his rear, were actually turned upon the British line 
by numbers who, having thrown themselves upon the ground 
near their artillery, had been passed by the conquerors, on a 
supposition that they were dead. This is an artifice often prac- 
tised by the native troops in India ; and they now availed them- 
selves of it to commence and keep up for some time a very 
heavy fire. 

Though the enemy's line too was thus completely broken 
through ; yet still, from its extent, some corps were able to move 
off the ground in very good order ; and, at this critical juncture, 
Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell was unfortunately killed whilst 
charging, at the head of the British cavalry, a body of infantry 
which had retired and was again formed in full force. The ene- 
my's fire too in the rear became so galling, that General Wel- 
lesley himself was obliged to take the 78th regiment and the 7th 
regiment of native cavalry, in order to put a stop to it. Even 
at this moment the fortune of the day again became doubtful ; 
for the enemy's cavalry, which had been hovering round the 
British troops during the whole of the action, still continued 
near the line ; but that body of infantry which had re-formed be- 
ing completely cut down by the British cavalry, notwithstand- 
ing the fall of their commanding officer, and General Wellesley, at 
the same moment, compelling the scattered parties of the enemy 
in the rear of the line to abandon the guns which they had seized 
and turned against the British troops, the victory was now deci- 
sive, and the enemy retreated in full flight, leaving twelve hun- 
dred men dead upon the field of battle, immense numbers of their 
wounded scattered over the country, ninety-eight pieces of can- 



92 

non, seven standards, their camp equipage, and a large quantity 
of military stores and ammunition. 

Major General Wellesley, in his despatches, stated that the 
victory, which was certainly complete, had nevertheless cost 
very dear, the loss in officers and men being very great; and 
that of Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell, and other officers in par- 
ticular, being greatly to be regretted.* He gave great praise to 
Lieutenaut Colonels Harris and Wallace, for the manner in which 
they conducted their brigades ; and to all the officers of the staff 
for their ready and useful assistance ; and he observed, that the 
officers commanding brigades, nearly all those of the staff, and 
the mounted officers of the infantry, had their horses shot under 
them. 

It was not until the evening of the 24th that Colonel Steven- 
son was able to join General Wellesley, having been prevented by 
several impediments from prosecuting his march as rapidly as 
was expected. This shows more fully the propriety of the ge- 
neral's measures in hastening the attack ; but at the same time re- 
flects no blame whatever upon the gallant colonel, whose conduct 
had always been marked by the greatest zeal, activity, and pub- 
lic spirit. He was immediately detached in pursuit of the ene- 
my, and his success in harassing their retreat fully justified 
General Wellesley's reliance upon his services. 

The good consequences of this victory were soon displayed ; 
for on the 8th of October Major General Wellesley received a 
notification from the camp of Scindiah, from a person of the 
name of Ballajee Khoonjur, who was one of Scindiah's ministers, 

* The total number lulled were, Europeans 198, natives 428, and 325 
horses ; the wounded were 444 Europeans, 1,13!? natives, and HI horses, and 
there were only 36 missing. The officers killed were Lieutenant Colonel 
Maxwell of the 19th dragoons, and Captain U. Boyle ; Captain H. Mackey, 
4th native cavalry; Lieutenant Bonomi, 5th native cavalry; Captain Lieuten- 
ants Steele and Fowler, Lieutenants Lindsay and Griffiths, of the artillery; 
Captains D. Aytone, A. Dyce, It. Macleod, J. Maxwell, Lieutenants J. Camp- 
hell, J. M. Campbell, J. Grant, R Nielson, L. Campbell, and M. Morris, of 
the 74th; Lieutenant J Douglas of the 78th; and Lieutenants Brown, 
Mavor, and Perrie, of native corps. 



93 

requesting that he would despatch a British officer, together with 
an officer of the Soubah of the Dekan, (or Nizam,) to the con- 
federate camp, for the purpose of negotiating terms of peace be- 
tween the British and the Nizam, and the confederate Mahratta 
chiefs. The major general, however, well knew that this man 
had been originally despatched by the Peishwah from Bassein to 
Scindiah, for the purpose of explaining to him the nature of the en- 
gagement entered into by the Peishwah and the British govern- 
ment, when that diplomatic personage, with all the accustomed 
versatility and treachery of a Mahratta politician, had deserted 
his master's service, betrayed his confidence, and attached him- 
self to the service of Scindiah. General Wellesley, however, 
had other sufficient reasons for declining this business at the pre- 
sent moment; for as there was no mention made either of the Ra- 
jah of Berar, or of Scindiah himself, in this communication, he 
had no certainty of the application being authorized by either of 
those chieftains, who might thus, Avhen convenient, disavow any 
knowledge of the matter ; and he also suspected that it might be 
merely a feint oil the part of those chiefs, as the presence of a Bri- 
tish officer in the enemy's camp at that moment would have tend- 
ed to raise the spirits of their troops, and prevent their disper- 
sion ; nay, might have been represented by the insidious enemy 
as an attempt on the part of the British government to sue for 
peace. 

He therefore refused to comply with the request; but at the 
same time signified his disposition to receive at the British camp, 
with every mark of honour and respect, any person duly em- 
powered by the direct authority of Scindiah, or of the Berar 
Rajah, to propose terms of peace to the allied powers. 

The confederates finding their tricks, if they were such, com- 
pletely circumvented, and not choosing to treat on serious terms, 
now collected the remains of their broken army, and moved 
along the bank of the Taptee river to the westward, as it appear- 
ed to General Wellesley, with the intention of proceeding to the 
southward by the road which leads to Poonah ; he therefore de- 
termined to remain to the southward in order to watch their 



94 

movements, and detached Colonel Stevenson for the attack of 
Boorhanpore, which fell shortly afterwards. 

In the general orders, which were issued at Calcutta on 
the receipt of the intelligence of this decisive victory at Assye, 
the governor general observed that at the close of a cam- 
paign of the most brilliant success and glory in every quarter 
of India, this transcendent victory demanded a testimony of pub- 
lic honour equal to any which the justice of the British govern- 
ment in India had ever conferred on the conduct of our officers 
and troops, in the most distinguished period of our military his- 
tory ; and he added that the important benefits resulting from that 
triumph of our arms were not inferior to the splendour of the 
action itself, when it was considered that the immediate conse- 
quences derived from the exertions of that day were the com- 
plete defeat of the combined army of the confederate chieftains ; 
an irreparable blow to the strength and efficiency of their military 
resources, especially of their artillery, in the Dekan ; the ex- 
pulsion of a hostile and predatory army from the territory of 
our ally the Nizam ; and a seasonable and effectual check to the 
ambition, pride, and rapacity, of the enemy. 

As a further mark of distinction to Major General Wellesley's 
brave army, the governor general ordered that honorary co- 
lours with devices properly suited to commemorate that splendid 
victory should be presented to the various corps employed 
in that service ; and he directed that the names of the brave 
officers and men who fell in the battle, should be commemorated, 
together with the circumstances of the action, upon the public 
monument to be erected at Calcutta, to the memory of all those 
who had fallen in the public service during that campaign. 

In execution of the plan which General Wellesley had laid 
down of watching the motions of the confederate chieftains, he 
arrived at Poolinary, about sixteen miles north from Aurungabad, 
when he observed that they did not advance to the southward, 
as he had been informed they first intended; and in the night of 
the 15th of October, he received information so particular of 
the disposition of their troops, baggage, &c. that he concluded 
1 



95 

they intended to interrupt Colonel Stevenson, who was then de- 
tached towards Asseerghur after the capture of Boorhaupore. He, 
therefore, immediately put his army in motion on the 1 6th, and 
descended the Adjuntee Ghaut on the 19th ; at which time Scin- 
diah had moved to the northward; but he halted on the return 
of the British, and returned to Taptee, where the Rajah of 
Berar separated from him, as it was said, for Chandore. But 
General Wellesley, well knowing the tricks of these wily chief- 
tains, suspected immediately that this report had been circulated 
for the purpose of drawing him to the southward again ; there- 
fore, as Colonel Stevenson had by that time got possession of 
Asseerghur, and was fully equal to any thing that could be sent 
against him, he immediately reascended the Ghaut, and thereby 
frustrated the plans of the enemy. 

In this judicious opinion and determination he was confirmed 
by receiving authentic intelligence, on the 24th, that the Rajah 
of Berar had actually passed through the hills which form 
the boundary of Candeish, and had moved towards the river 
Godavery. 

General Wellesley, therefore, proceeded up the Ghaut with 
the British army on the 25th, continued his march to the south- 
ward on the 26th, and on the 29th of October had passed 
Aurungabad. At this period the Rajah had advanced gradually 
to the eastward, and was at Lakeegauu, about twenty miles north 
from Puttrin, on the arrival of the British troops at Aurungabad; 
and so much was he alarmed at their advance, that during the 
time of their being in his vicinity up to the 31st of October, he 
moved his camp no less than five times, expecting as rapid a visit 
as they had paid him at Assye. His force, however, was now 
very much reduced, and so little efficient, that 5,000 of his ca- 
valry, whom he detached to attack a convoy of grain and bul- 
locks under the charge of Captain Baynes with three companies 
of native infantry, two guns, and 400 of the Mysore cavalry, 
were actually defeated by that small force. 

After the capture of Asseerghur, by Colonel Stevenson, the 
unremitting activity of General Wellesley was still directed to 



90 

the various military objects in view; and in the latter end of 
November, various conferences having taken place with Scin- 
diah's ambassadors, who now felt himself obliged to negotiate, a 
cessation of arms in the Dekan was agreed upon on the 23d of 
that month. 

During the progress of the negotiation, the Rajah of Berar 
had moved towards his own dominions, and the major general had 
descended the mountains by the Bagoorah pass, for the purpose of 
cooperation with Colonel Stevenson, who was then proceeding to 
the attack of Gawilghur. 

On the 28th of November, the British troops under General 
Wellesley came up with a considerable body of Scindiah's regu- 
lar cavalry, accompanied by the greater part of the Berar infan- 
try ; and, as Scindiah had not fulfilled the conditions of the truce 
which he had himself sought with such eagerness, General Wel- 
lesley resolved, notwithstanding the eager and insidious remon- 
strances and protestations of Scindiah's vakeel, who was still in 
his camp, to attack the enemy with all possible vigour. He im- 
mediately, therefore, moved forward to Parterly, when he was 
joined by Colonel Stevenson, the confederates having retired 
from that very spot, their rear being still discernible from a lofty 
tower in the vicinity. The day was still extremely hot, and the 
troops were so fatigued that the gcueral felt inclined to postpone 
the pursuit until the evening ; but he had scarcely halted when 
large bodies of the enemy's horse were noticed in front : and the, 
piquets being immediately advanced, the whole army of the con- 
federates was distinctly perceived, formed in a long line of ca- 
valry, infantry, and artillery, extending a front of five miles on 
the plains of Argaum. 

The moment was now critical; and the general, finding that 
the enemy was determined on a general action, instantly advanced 
with the whole army in one column, in a direction nearly parallel 
to the enemy's line, and with the British cavalry leading. As 
the British array neared the confederates, it was drawn up in two 
lines, the first consisting of the infantry, the second of the ca- 
valry, and the right wing was advanced in order to press on the 



97 

eueruy, whilst the left was supported by the Mysore horse. No 
sooner had the British come pretty close, than they were at- 
tacked by a large body of Persian troops, who maintained a most 
desperate conflict for some time, but were at length totally de- 
stroyed : at the same time a charge of Scindiah's cavalry was 
repulsed with great bloodshed by the first battalion of the 6th, 
when the whole hostile line gave way, and fled with the utmost 
precipitation and confusion, leaving thirty-eight pieces of cannon 
and all their ammunition in the hands of the victors. 

The rout was, in fact, in all parts of the line, most decisive; 
and General Wellesley immediately pushed on for Gawilghur, 
in order to commence his operations against that fortress. The 
services of the army were now laborious in the extreme, and 
such as scarcely bad ever been witnessed. In this service Ge- 
neral Wellesley's army took a principal share, although his ob- 
ject was principally to cover the operations of the siege, but if 
possible to carry into effect attacks upon the southern and 
western faces. 

On the 12th, at night, Colonel Stevenson's detachment opened 
two batteries, from brass and iron guns, to breach the outer fort 
and the third wall; and another to clear and destroy the de- 
fences on the point of attack. A fourth battery was erected by 
General Wellesley's own division on the mountain, under the 
southern gate, for the purpose of effecting a breach in the wall 
near that gate, or at least to divert and distract the attention of 
the garrison. On the night of the 16th, the breaches of the outer 
wall of the fort were judged practicable; and a storming party 
was ordered for the attack, at ten o'clock on the following morn- 
ing, under Lieutenant Colonel Kenny. At the same time two 
attacks were to be made from the southward; one on the south 
gate, by a stroug detachment under Lieutenant Colonel Wallace, 
aud the other on the gate of the northwest, by a similar force 
under Lieutenant Colonel Chalmers. These latter dispositions, 
however, were principally inteuded to draw off the enemy's at- 
tention from the real poiot of assault. 
13 



98 

At the appointed hour the three parties moved forward ; and 
that under Lieutenant Colonel Chalmers reached the northwest 
gate, just as the enemy were attempting to escape through it 
from the bayonets of the assailing party under Lieutenant Colo- 
nel Kenny. A dreadful slaughter now ensued, and Lieute- 
nant Colonel Chalmers entered the fort without any difficulty. 
The wall in the inner fort, in which no breach had yet been 
made, was still to be carried ; after some attempts upon the gate 
of communication between the inner and outward forts, a place 
was at length found, at which it Avas possible to escalade the 
wall; and here Captain Campbell, with the light infantry of the 
94th regiment, fixed the ladders, scaled the wall, and opened the 
gate to the storming party, who were quickly masters of the 
place. The garrison had been numerous, and their slaughter 
was great. The effect of these operations, and of the others ia 
the north, were so powerful, that on the 17th of December, 1803, 
General Wellesley had an opportunity of displaying his diplo- 
matic powers, by the conclusion of a treaty of peace with the 
llajah of Berar in his camp at Deogaum, in which the Rajah 
renounced all adherence to the confederacy, ceded to the Com- 
pany the provinces of Cuttack and Balasore, and engaged never 
to keep in his service the subjects of any state which might be 
at war with England. 

Soon after this that hitherto restless prince, Scindiah, finding 
that he had no remaining chance of gratifying his ambition or 
revenge at our expense, finding himself without an ally, and 
having exhausted all his resources and expedients, thought pro- 
per to send an ambassador to the general also, when another treaty 
was concluded, on the 30th of December, highly favourable to 
the British interests. 

In the month of February, 1804, the principal officers of 
Major General Wellesley's army agreed to present him with a 
vase of gold, worth 2,000 guineas, of superior workmanship, 
with an inscription recording the Batik of Assye, that event so 
decisive of the campaign in the Dekan. The committee direct- 
ed a notification of this intention to be presented to him, to whicli 



he acceded, with some very handsome compliments to the officers 
and army ; and it is not irrelevant to mention here that the ele- 
gant offer of a Star of St. Patrick, which his brother the mar- 
quis had with so much propriety declined receiving as a present 
from the army, had been followed up by that star being actually 
presented to him by the India Company themselves, to whom 
the army had transmitted the star itself, with a request that it 
might be so appropriated in a compliment which did honour to 
the liberality of all parties, and was a very handsome accompani- 
ment to their grateful grant of a liberal pension to the governor 
general for a term of tweuty years. 

Major General Wellesley having proceeded for Bombay, in 
April, 1804, after the ratification of the various treaties, accom- 
panied by the ambassadors from Sciudiah, also by some of the 
native chiefs, he was received not only with all the military 
honours due to his high station, but with all the respect which the 
inhabitants in general could show him for his eminent services. Ad- 
dresses of the most respectful and flattering nature were presented 
to him, to which he returned modest answers, attributing all his 
success, not to himself, but to his gallant troops, and to the exer- 
tions of the civil government in cooperating with him. Spleu- 
did fetes were given by the governor, and the whole routine of 
public dinners, &c. &c. was gone through; and, in short, nothing 
omitted which could testify the high sense entertained of his 
merit, by all ranks and distinctions in the settlement. In the 
address, it was very justly asserted that the difficult negotiations 
which he carried on with two hostile powers, when, at the same 
moment, his attention was occupied by the operations of the field, 
did the greatest honour to his talents as a statesman, and display- 
ed a happy union of political skill and of military science. 

The general repose of the British empire in India was for a 
short time disturbed by the hostile conduct of Holkar, who, we 
have seen, had been formerly in league with Scindiah and the 
Bajah of Berar. 

The conduct of this chief, however, was predatory in the 
extreme; for he spared neither fronds nor foes, but actually 



100 

made an attack upon Scindiah's fort of Agimere, during, or at 
the period of, the negotiations with the British. 

On the settlement of the peace with Sciudiah and the Berai 
Rajah, though the British government saw the futility of enter- 
ing into alliance with Hoikar, yet it was still an object of policy 
l o the Marquis of Wellesley to keep him quiet if possible; and 
as we had nothing to do with the question of succession between 
him and his brother, it was proposed to conclude an engage- 
ment with him, agreeing to leave him in the unmolested exer- 
cise of his authority, provided that he would engage to abstain 
from any act of aggression against the British government or its 
allies. 

After considerable delay and negotiation, a letter was address- 
ed by Hoikar to General Wellesley, still commanding the army 
in the Dekan, and which appeared to be written in February* 
1804, in which he demanded the cession of certain districts in 
that country as the price of peace, and added, that in the event 
of a war taking place, although he might be unable to oppose 
the British in the field, still that " countries of many hundred 
coss* should be overrun, and plundered, and burnt; that the 
British commander in chief should not have leisure to breathe for 
a moment; and that calamities would fall on hundreds of thou- 
sands of human beings in continual war, by the attacks of his 
army, which overwhelms like the waves of the sea.'''' 

Even this insolent letter did not make any impressiou on the 
moderation of the British government; but it was at length 
found absolutely necessnry, in the month of April, to reduce his 
mischievous power, which seemed solely bent on disturbing the 
general tranquillity. 

The operations of this war, however, fell principally on Gene- 
ral Lake ; and the army in the Dekan, under Major Geueral 
Wellesley, had little more to do than to undertake the reduction 
of the strong fortress of Chandore, whose fall, though redound- 
ing highly to the military skill of the general, affords no remarks- 
ble features for our present biography. 

* A coss is about two English miles. 



101 

The complete destruction of Holkar's force soon led to a gene- 
ral pacification, and the Marquis of Wellesley having deter- 
mined to give up the government of India and return to En- 
gland, the Marquis of Cornwallis was appointed to succeed him, 
and every preparation made for the departure of the governor 
general and his brother as soon as the Marquis of Cornwallis 
should arrive. 

In the early part of this year, (3d of May, 1804,) Major 
General Wellesley received the high honour of the thanks ol 
both houses for his gallant and judicious services ; and about the 
same period a very handsome sword, of the value of 1,000 
guineas, was presented to him at Calcutta. The feelings of the 
natives of India towards the major general may be drawn from 
an address presented to him in the month of July, 1804, by the 
inhabitants of Seringapatam, in which they declare that they had 
reposed lor five years under the shadow of his auspicious pro- 
tection ; that they had felt even during his absence, in the midst 
of battle and of victory, that his care for their prosperity had 
been extended to them in as ample a manner as if no other object 
had occupied his mind ; and that they were preparing in their 
several casts, the duties of thanksgiving and of sacrifice to the 
preserving God, who had brought him back in safety : and they 
concluded with this remarkable and memorable prayer — " and 
when greater affairs shall call you from us, may the God of all 
casts and all nations deign to hear w r ith favour our humble 
aud constant prayers for your health, your glory, and your hap- 
piness !" 

On the 1st of September, 1804, the gallant subject of our 
biography was elected a knight companion of the most honoura- 
ble order of the bath ; from which period we must speak of him 
as the honourable Sir Arthur Wellesley. 

Preparing, in March, 1 805, to return to England, Sir Arthur 
Wellesley received the most flattering and respectful addresses 
from all quarters ; from the army, from the garrison of Seringa- 
patam, and from the native inhabitants of that city; to all which 
he returned answers highly expressive of his gratitude for their 



102 

good wishes, as well as to his own regiment, the 33d, who, from 
their head-quarters at Vellore, testified their grateful feelings for 
his unremitted attention to their happiness and welfare, during a 
period of twelve years that he had been their lieutenant colonel. 
He shortly after proceeded for England, and, late in 1305, arri- 
ved once more in his native country. 



103 



SECTION IV. 

Preliminary observations— Expedition to Hanover — Marriage of Sir Arthur 
Wellesley — Genealogical anecdotes of the Longford family — Appointed 
chief secretary for Irelamd — War with Denmark — Policy of France 
towards that country — Expedition prepared for Copenhagen — Sails for the 
Sound — Arrival at Copenhagen — Landing of the army — Proclamation 
by the commander in chief — Commencement and operations of the siege 
of Copenhagen — Danish army farmed in the interior— Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley detached with a separate command — Operations of his army — Battle 
of Kioge — Defeat of the enemy — Copenhagen bombarded — Capitulation — 
Generous and prudent conduct of the conquerors — Fleet and arsenals 
taken possession of — Military anecdotes of the siege, &c. — Return to En- 
gland — Thanks of both houses to the officers employed — Political con- 
duct of Sir Arthur respecting Ireland, &c. &c. &c. 

IN the latter end of 1 805, Great Britain having agreed to a 
partial support of her friends on the continent, a considerable 
force was accordingly embarked at Ramsgate and landed at Bre* 
men, where they were welcomed by the inhabitants with every 
mark of kindness ; and a proclamation in the name of his majes- 
ty to his Hanoverian subjects was immediately issued. On the 
17th of December Lord Cathcart arrived there from England, 
and took the command of the British army then quartered in 
Bremen and in Hanover; and at this period Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley, having been placed upon the staff, was promoted to the com- 
mand of a brigade. 

The circumstances of the time prevented this small force from 
accomplishing any thing; and accordingly they soon after re- 
turned /rom the continent, landing at Yarmouth in February, 
1806. 

After his return from Hanover, Sir Arthur AVellesley for a 
short period had a command upon one of the coast districts ; 
and then his discipline and management were as creditable to his 
military character as a tactician, as his general deportment to- 



104 

wards the officers under his command was to his reputation as a 

soldier and a gentleman. 

On the death of the Marquis of Cornwallis, then Colonel of 
the 33d regiment, Sir Arthur Wellesley was named to succeed 
him, having been its lieutenant colonel thirteen years, and pre- 
sent with it for almost the whole of that time, during a period of 
active service. 

We have now seen Sir Arthur Wellesley in the characters of 
a military chief, and of an able diplomatist ; a new scene, how- 
ever, now opened to him as a politician, he having taken his seat 
in the house of commons for Newport in Hants, in which' situa- 
tion he showed equal abilities as in the field, particularly in the 
defence of his brother. His eloquence and intimate knowledge of 
the subject were irresistible on the minds of all v*ho were "not 
warped by party or by prejudice. 

Early in 1806 he was married to the Honourable Miss Eliza- 
beth Pakenham,* daughter of the late Lord Longford, but his 

■ This very ancient and noble family is originally of Saxon descent ; and 
we find that in the reign of Edward III. Sir Lawrence Pakenham, knt. mar- 
ried Elizabeth, second sister and coheiress of Thomas J- ngaine, Baron of 
Blatherwick, in Northamptonshire. From him descended Sir John and Sir 
Hugh Pakenham, brothers, in the reign of Henry VIH. and the consequence 
of the family may be drawn from the fact that Sir John, the eldest, was pos- 
sessed of the manor of Lordington in Sussex ; and his only daughter and 
heiress, Constance, was married to Sir GeonYy de la Pole, knt. second sou 
of Sir Richard de la Pole and Margaret Plantagcnet, only daughter of George 
Duke of Clarence, brother of King Edward IV. 

Sir John, the youngest was lord of the manor of Norwitham in Lincoln- 
shire, and left issue a son, John, and a daughter, <\nne, who was married in the 
reign of Henry Vlll to Sir William Sidney, (first tutor, and then chamber- 
lain and steward of the household to King Edward V'.) by whom she was 
mother of Sir Henry Sidney, afterwards Lord Deputy of Ireland. These 
marriages are sufficient proof of the early importance of the family. John 
Pakenham, already spoken of, had issue only one son, Robert ; and he must 
have died about the close of Edward's reign ; for we find that in the first year 
of Queen Mary, that princess granted the wardship and marriage of his son to 
Sir Henry Sidney- 
Robert left an only son, Hugh, who having no less than eighteen children, 
all males, three of them went over to Ireland, as officers of the army, in t642> 



105 

talents were not permitted to sink into oblivion, as we find him 
a very few days after in his place in the house, attending to the 
charges brought forward against the marquis, his brother. 

In the early part of 1307, Sir Arthur Wellesley was appointed 
chief secretary for Ireland, under his grace the Duke of Rich- 
mond ; and on the 8th of April, 1807, was sworn in a member of 
the British privy council in consequence of that political office. 

During the subsequent months he was sometimes resident in 
Ireland, attending to the duties of his office, and at others fulfill- 
ing his duty in the united parliament. 

At this period the attempts of Bonaparte to shut the Baltic 
against English commerce were nearly successful, and his plans 
ef seizing the Danish navy for the purpose of the invasion of 
these countries was well known to government ; a fact which, 
though denied by many at the time, has since been fully proved 

serving in the troops sent to suppress the unhappy rehellion which then raged 
in that country. 

The eldest of these three was Henry, the ancestor of the present family, 
who had for his services a grant of the lands of Tullinally, now better known 
by the name of Pakenham Hall, in the county of Westmeath; which are still 
in possession of the family. He seems to have been of considerable conse- 
quence in that part of the country, and was elected member of parliament 
for Cavan, in the county of VI eath, after the Best- ration. 

His son, Sir Thomas Pakenham knt. was prime sergeant to his majesty in 
Ireland He died in 1709, and was succeeded by his son Edward, who sat in 
parliament for the county of Westmeath during great part of the reign qf 
George I His eldest son, Thomas, also sat in parliament for the town of Long- 
ford, and in 756 was called up to the house of peers as Baron Longford He 
married Elizabeth, heiress of Michael Cuffe, Esq. of Ballinrobe in the county 
of Mayo, and had a son, Edward Michael, the second lord. Lady Longford 
being grand niece of the last Earl of Longford, she was, on the 5th of July, 1775, 
created Countess of Longford, with remainder to her son Edward; but he, 
though Baron Longford never inherited the earldom, dyingbefore his mother. 
He married Elizabeth daughter of > ercules Langford Rowley, Esq. by the 
late Viscountess Longford, and had a numerous family consisting of the pre- 
, sent earl ; Edward Michael now a major general, and serving with his illus- 
trious brother-in-law; William, a captain in the navy, unhappily wrecked in 
the Saldanha frigate; and, amongst other daughters, Elizabeth, the 

PRESENT MOST NOBLE MARCHIONESS OF WSLI.TSSTOR. 

14 



106 

by his own state papers. Little, indeed, wns now wanting to 
the completion of his plan but the consent of Denmark : she op- 
posed, however, but a feeble obstacle to his ambition, aud he 
proceeded by threats and negotiations to prepare her for his 
views ; whilst his army on the borders of Holsiein was ready to 
take advantage of any opportunity that might offer for a sudden 
irruption into that country. 

The British government, having kept an attentive eye upoe 
these transactions, determined to frustrate them by sending to sea 
a powerful military and naval armament, consisting of about 
twenty-seven sail of the line, with 20,000 men; and such had 
been the secrecy attending the whole preparation of this expedi- 
tion, that it was at sea before either its destination or its force 
was known to the public. 

The command of the troops Avas given to Lord Cathcart, and 
Sir Arthur Wellesley accompanied him on the service; and the 
naval part of the expedition was under the direction of Admiral 
(now Lord) Gambier, assisted by other gallant officers. 

On proceeding to sea one division of the fleet, under the im- 
mediate superintendence of Commodore (now Sir Richard) 
Keats was detached to the Great Belt, with instructions to allow 
no military force of any description to enter the Island of Zea- 
land ; and this enterprising, yet prudent, officer having conducted 
his squadron through an intricate and difficult navigation, station- 
ed his vessels in such a manner as completely to fulfil the orders 
intrusted to him. The British army was conducted by the 
main body of the fleet to the Souud, when the operations com- 
menced with the greatest vigour. 

A proclamation was immediately issued by the commander ia 
chief declaring the circumstances under which they were obliged 
to proceed to this debarkation. 

On the 18th of August, 1807, the reserve of the army landed 
at five in the morning with the ordnance of a light brigade, and 
occupied, the heights of Hellerup, before Copenhagen; and in 
the course of the day additional troops were landed. A flag of 
truce was then received from Major General Peyman, coraman- 



lOf 

der in chief iu Copenhagen, requesting passports for the two 
Princesses of Denmark, nieces of his Danish majesty, to leave 
Copenhagen, which were granted ; and in the evening the army 
marched by their left in three columns, and lay upon their arras 
in advance. At daybreak the whole army marched in three 
columns to invest the town, and every arrangement was made for 
that purpose in the course of the day. About noon hostilities 
actually commenced by the piquets towards the left being 
attacked, whilst the Danish gun-boats, rawing out of the harbour, 
cannonaded the left of the line with grape and round shot. 

The piquets soon drove in and pursued the enemy, and resumed 
their posts, being supported by the advance of part of the line; 
and the British gun brigs and bombs, having been towed as near 
the harbour as they could be, opened a fire, though at a consi- 
derable distance, upon the Danish gun-boats, forcing them, after 
a long and heavy cannonade* to retire into the harbour. 

On the succeeding day (the 18th) the attacks of the gun-boats 
were renewed upon the light British vessels in advance ; but a 
brigade of artillery on shore being brought to enfilade them, they 
were forced to retire, as well as part of the garrison which had 
come out in advance upon the road. In the course of the day 
the engineering and entrenching tools were landed, and every 
thing was prepared for commencing the siege in form. 

At three in the morning of the 24th, the army was under arms; 
the centre advanced its position to the height near the road which 
runs in a direction parallel to the defences of Copenhagen, on 
to Fredericksburg, occupying that road and some parts beyond 
it. The guards at the same time occupied the suburbs on that 
side, flanked by a detachment of the 79th; and there they dis- 
lodged a piquet of the enemy, who, iu their retreat, concealed 
thirteen three pounders which were afterwards found. 

All the piquets of the garrison now fell back to the lake or 
inundations in front of the place, the British piquets occupy- 
ing their ground, and in the afternoon, the garrison having 
showed itself on all the avenues leading from the town, as it with 
a design either to recover ground or to burn the suburbs, the dif- 



■ 108 

ferent corps in advance drove them in on all sides, and at the 
same time seized all the suburbs on the north bank of the 
lakes, some of which were only 400 yards distant from the 
ramparts. 

In this aflfair Sir Arthur was engaged with his division, and 
General Sir David Baird's division turned, and carried a re- 
doubt which the enemy had been some days constructing, and 
which was that night converted into a work against them. 

In the course of the evening the Danes set fire to the end of 
the suburb nearest to Copenhagen, the upper part of which was 
occupied by the guards, and was now defended by them ; but 
this was of little avail, for iu consequence of the general success 
along the whole line, the works which had been intended, and 
indeed begun by the British army, were abandoned, and a new 
line of attack was taken, within about 800 yards of the main 
body of the place, and even nearer to it on the flanks. 

On the 25th the cannonade was briskly kept up on both sides ; 
and on the 26th, it being understood that the Danish General, 
Castenschiold, had formed an army iu the interior of the island 
consisting of three or four battalions of disciplined troops, be- 
sides a number of armed peasantry, it was judged necessary to 
disperse this force ; and Sir Arthur Wellesley was despatched 
for that purpose, having with him the reserve of the army, eight 
squadrons of cavalry and horse artillery, under Major General 
Linsingen, the 6th battalion of the line, King's German Legion, 
and a light brigade of artillery. He marched to Roskild Kroe,* 
and on the 27th advanced in two divisions to attack the enemy in 
front and rear at Koenerup; but finding that Castenschiold had 
moved up towards Kioge, he took a position to cover the be- 

* Roskild is the most ancient town in Zealand, and is situated on a branch 
of the Jisefiord, in a valley, whilst the banks of the river form a very striking 
contrast with its low situation. It has been long in a declining state ; but the 
scenery around it is beautiful in the extreme, with vast forests of oak, through 
■which at intervals various spires and steeples steal upon the view, whilst in 
its immediate vicinity are innumerable corn fields, interspersed with cheerful 
hamlets and detached farm steads. In the town is the ancient cathedral and 
frying place of the royal family. 



109 

sieging army. On the evening of the 27th, he placed Colonel 
Redan with a force at Vallens-break, and on the 28th General 
Linsingen marched towards Roskild, thereby forming on the right 
of Sir Arthur's main body. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley having had reason to believe that Gene- 
ral Castenschiold still remained at Kioge, he determined to at- 
tack him on the 29th of August, and arranged with General 
Linsingen, that he should cross the Kioge rivulet at Little 
Sellyas, and turn the Danish left flank, whilst he himself should 
move along the sea road towards Kioge, and attack in front. 

Both divisions accordingly broke up in the morning of that 
day, and marched according to the concerted plan. When Sir 
Arthur approached to Kioge, he found the enemy in force on 
the north side of the town and rivulet, from whence they imme- 
diately commenced a cannonade upon the patroles of hussars in 
front of the British troops. At this time their force consisted of 
three or four battalions of the line, with cavalry on both flanks, 
and apparently a large body beyond the town and rivulet. At 
the time agreed upon with General Linsingen, Sir Arthur formed 
his infantry in one line, with the left to the sea ; having the two 
squadrons of hussars upon the right ; and as there had been 
some appearance of a movement by the enemy to their left, and 
he had not had any communication with General Linsingen, and 
of course was not certain of his having passed the rivulet, Sir 
Arthur, with his accustomed promptitude, immediately ordered 
the attack to commence in tchellon of battalions from the left, the 
whole being covered by the first battalion of the 95th regiment, 
and by a well directed fire from the artillery. 

It fell to the lot of the 92d regiment to lead this attack ; and 
they performed their part in the most exemplary manner, being 
equally well supported by the 52d and 53d. 

So warmly were they handled by the British, that the enemy 
were soon obliged to retire to an entrenchment which they had 
formed in the front of a camp on the north side of Kioge, and 
they also made a disposition of their eavalry upon the sands, to 



110 

charge the 92d in flank, as advancing to attack this entrench* 
merit. 

By this disposition of the Danish force, Sir Arthur was obli- 
ged to move Colonel Redan's hussars from the right to the left 
flank, aod to throw the 43d into a second line ; after which the 
€3d carried the entrenchment, and forced the enemy to retreat 
into the town in great disorder. They were followed immediately, 
in the most gallant style, by Colonel Redaa and his hussars, and 
by the first battalion of the 95th regiment, and afterwards by the 
whole line of infantry. Upon crossing the rivulet, it was found 
that General Linsingen's corps had advanced upon the right 
flank, and the whole joined in the pursuit. 

At this moment Major General Oshoken, the second in com- 
mand of the Danish force, who had joined the enemy on the pre- 
ceding evening with four battalions, attempted to make a stand 
in the village of Herfolge ; but he was attacked so briskly by 
the hussars, and a small detachment of the 1st and 95th, that he 
was compelled to 6iirreuder, alone; with Count Wedel Jarisburg 
and several other officers, and about 400 men. On this occasion 
the loss of the enemy was very great; many fell during the 
action, and there were sixty officers and eleven hundred men 
taken prisoners. In the flight the Danes threw away their aims 
and clothing, and many stands of the former fell into the hands 
of the pursuers, besides several pieces of cannon. 

On the 1st of September, 1307, the mortar batteries being 
nearly ready for service, the place was summoned ; but the an- 
swer arrived late, accompanied by a desire to take the pleasure 
of his Danish majesty on the subject, so that no reply could be 
sent until the following day. 

On the evening of the 2d of September, the land batteries, 
and the bomb and mortar vessels opened a tremendous fire upon 
the town, and with such effect, that in the course of a very short 
time a general conflagration appeared to have taken place. The 
lire was returned but feebly from the Danish ramparts, and from 
*he citadel and crown batteries. 

On the evening of the 5th of September, a letter was sent by 
3 



Ill 

the Danish general to propose an armistice of twenty-four Iioues 
for preparing an agreement on which articles of capitulation 
might be founded. The armistice was declined, as tending to 
unnecessary delay, and the works were continued ; but the firing 
was countermanded, and Lieutenant Colonel Murray was sent to 
explain that no proposal of capitulation could be listened to> 
unless accompanied by the surrender of the fleet. 

On the 6th this basis having been admitted by a subsequent 
letter, Lord Cathcart sent for Sir Arthur Wellesley from his com- 
mand in the country, where, as was said in the public despatches, 
he had distinguished himself in a manner highly honourable to 
himself and advantageous to the public service ; and he, with Sir 
Home Popham, and Lieutenant Colonel Murray, was appointed to 
prepare and conclude the terms of capitulation. 

These officers, with their accustomed energy, having insisted 
on proceeding immediately to business, the capitulation was 
drawn up in the night betweeu the 6th and 7th of September, and 
the ratification exchanged in the course of the morning, Lieute- 
nant Colonel Burrard taking possession of the gates at four 
o'clock in the afternoon. 

The Danish navy, delivered up in consequence of this treaty, 
consisted of sixteen ships of the line, fifteen frigates, six brigs, 
and twenty-five gun-boats, besides vessels on the stocks ; in the 
arsenals were found stores sufficient to fit this fleet for sea ; and 
though all the men of war, both English and those captured, were 
laden with those stores, there still remained enough to fill 02 
sail of transports, amounting to upwards of twenty thousand 
tons. 

The loss sustained by the British, in both services, was com- 
paratively trifling; but that of the Danes is computed to amount. 
to about 2,000 persons, with the destruction of nearly 400 houses, 
besides the burning of property, &c. 

The damage doue by the bombardment was considerable. The 
aumber of houses totally destroyed amounted to 305, and about 
600 damaged. Among the former was the great cathedral, the 
steeple of which fell in with a dreadful crash. All the buildings 



112 

in the neighbourhood of the cathedral were a heap of ruins, it 
being chiefly against that quarter that the bombardment was di- 
rected, probably, as it was said, from a wish to do the least possi- 
ble injury, that being the worst built part of the town. A great 
part of the buildings of the university were also destroyed. The 
number of individuals who perished was reckoned at 600, and 
nearly as many severely wounded. 

In short, the distress and confusion in the city was truly hor- 
rible; but after the capitulation, the magistrates and principal 
inhabitants gave every relief to the unhappy suiTerers, who were 
chiefly of the lowest classes. For this purpose several churches, 
which had not suffered from the bombardment, were fitted up for 
their reception ; and it is much to the credit of the British com- 
mander in chief, that he offered to send in provisions and other 
necessaries, but his proffered assistance was refused. 

After the posts were thus taken possession of, the squadroa 
proceeded to rig and fit out the ships that filled the spacious 
basins where they were laid up in ordinary, and at the expira- 
tion of the term limited in the capitulation, they were all, together 
with the stores, timber, and every other article of equipment 
fouud iu the arsenal and store-houses, prepared for conveyance to 
England, where, with the exception of one line of battle ship 
which grounded on the Isle of Huen, and was destroyed, they all 
arrived safely in the month of October. 

On the return of Sir Arthur from Copenhagen, he was in his 
place in the house ou the 1st of February, 1808, when the thanks 
were delivered by the speaker to the various officers. 

During a long and arduous session he dedicated himself to the 
civil service of his country with as much advantage to it, and 
honour to himself, as he bad heretofore done in the field; and 
when we contemplate the records of parliament in the years 
1806, 7, and 8, it is impossible not to admire that manly com- 
prehensiveness of mind, and liberality of sentiment, which fitted 
him for every discussion, and carried him through many warm 
debates without ever creating him a single enemy. 



113 

Even in May, 1808, Sir Arthur continued his official services, 
and in that month brought in a bill for enforcing the residence 
of the episcopal clergy upon their benefices in Ireland, and for 
erecting churches, and building glebe houses, in that kingdom. 
From these civil duties, however, he was soon called to take a 
command on the scene of his present glory ; we shall, therefore, 
postpone all further detail to the succeeding section. 



15 



114 



SECTION V. 

Conduct of Bonaparte towards Spain — Proposed emigration of the Spanish 
royal family— Downfall of the prince of peace — Abdication of the Spa- 
nish king — Madrid taken possession of — Inauguration of King Ferdinand 
— Journey of King Ferdinand to Bayonne — Its consequences — Anecdotes 
of the Queen of Spain — Anecdotes of Bonaparte — Massacre of the iuha- 
bitants of Madrid by the French — Joseph placed on the throne of Spain 
— Enthusiastic patriotism of the Spanish people— Evacuation of Madrid 
by the French — Enthusiasm of England in the Spanish cause— Expedition 
prepared to defend Portugal, and succour Spain — Sir \ rthur Wellesley 
proceeds to Spain- Joins the British admiral off the Tagus — Returns to 
Mondego Bay in Portugal— Lands the army— Anecdotes — March of the 
army — Topographical and military sketches of the country — March to Uo- 
leia — Attack and defeat of the French — Anecdotes — Reinforcements ar- 
rive from England — Arrival of Sir Harry Burrard — Battle of Vimiera — 
Sir Arthur Wellesley superseded in the command — Arrival of Sir Hew 
Dalrymple — Convention of Cintra — Anecdotes of the French, &c — Mili- 
tary and political observations — Sir Arthur Wellesley returns to England 
— Court of Inquiry — Observations — Explanation of Sir Arthur's conduct 
— Issue of the court of inquiry, and his majesty's marked displeasure at the 
convention, &c. &c. &c. 

NO sooner had Bonaparte concluded the treaty of Tilsit, by 
which he had subjugated the north of Europe, than he turned 
his attention to the west of the continent; and not content with 
having the resources of Spain and Portugal, and their transat- 
lantic dominions, at his command, resolved to place some of his 
own family upon their thrones. 

He took advantage of the opportunity which the vileness and 
imbecility of the Spanish royal family gave him, to pour large 
bodies of French troops into the Spanish territory; nay, so great 
was the infatuation, supposing that they only came to preserve 
order and tranquillity, that the government actually issued 
orders to receive and treat the French even on a more liberal scale 
than was used towards their own native army. By these means, 
in a very short time, all the most important posts and fortresses 
of Spain, nay, the whole of Portugal, were in French occupancy. 



1.15 

when Napoleon ventured to 'throw off the mask, by complaining 
to the King of Spain, that the measure of uniting the Prince of 
Asturias to one of his own relatives was not in sufficient for- 
wardness. The king had no course left but to express his wishes 
for the immediate solemnization of the marriage ; to which Bona- 
parte only replied by sending his creature, Don Eugenio 
Isquierdo, back to Madrid with confidential communications, 
the proceedings on which were conducted with such secrecy, 
that their tenor can only be known from the fact that soon after 
his departure from the Spanish capital, to return to Paris with 
the issue of his negotiations, the king and queen had begun to 
make preparations to emigrate from their native couutry to their 
transatlantic dominions in Mexico. 

Deprived of what they considered the support of the prince of 
peace, the miserable occupants of the Spanish throne dared no 
longer attempt to exercise the royal power, but immediately put 
in execution that resolution, which it has been asserted they had 
for some time entertained, of resigning the sovereign power to the 
Prince of Asturias. 

The Freuch general, Murat, judging the present circumstances 
favourable to his master's cause, immediately advanced to 
Madrid ; giving out, that Bonaparte might be expected imme- 
diately at the capital, and the proximity of his troops operated on 
the Prince of Asturias to make him anxious, at least for the pre- 
sent, to conciliate the good will of the invader. In fact, so very 
anxious was he to avert or to avoid any cause of displeasure, 
that after having communicated his accession to the throne in the 
most friendly, affectionate, and even submissive terms, he actually 
sent a deputation of three of the first grandees to Bayonue, to 
compliment his imperial majesty in his name. 

Murat now played his master-stroke of policy ; for, having 
possessed himself of the Spanish capital, he avowed that his po- 
litical interference was now necessary ; and that until the emperor 
acknowledged Ferdinand VII. it was impossible for him to take 
any step that should appear like an acknowledgment of his right 
to the crowD ; and that, in fact, he was under the necessity of 



116 

treating only with the former monarch. Those who had sup- 
ported the son, certainly in opposition to the father, now saw the 
tables completely turned, and too soon knew what they had to 
depend upon ; whilst, to give some colour to it, Murat listened 
to the solicitations of the king and queen to release their favourite 
Godoy from imprisonment. 

In this state of things, as Cevallos informs us, the young mo- 
narch made his public entry into Madrid, and Murat, reiterating 
the reports of the immediate arrival of Napoleon, induced the 
king's brother, Don Carlos, to set off with great haste to meet 
him ; at the same time his agents were busy in persuading the 
late king and queen to enter a protest against their own act of 
abdication. 

With promises of friendship and favour Murat continued to 
Urge the youthful monarch to proceed towards the north in or- 
der to compliment his imperial majesty on his arrival in Spain; 
and not having met Bonaparte at Burgos, he was induced, by the 
earnest and pressing entreaties of Savary, to proceed on to Vit- 
toria. There he actually received information of Napoleon's 
arrival at Bordeaux, in his way to Spain, and soon after of his 
beiug at Bayonne on the 15th of April. Ferdinand, after a little 
hesitation, determined to proceed to Bayonne, but scarcely had 
he crossed the limits of Spain when he began to express his sur- 
prise that no person had yet come to receive him. 

On his approach to Bayoune, he was met by the Prince of 
Neufchatel, aud Duroc, the marshal of the palace, accompanied 
by a detachment of the guard of honour which the citizens of 
Bayonne had formed to attend upon Napoleon. They invited 
Ferdinand to proceed for Bayonne, where a place had been 
prepared for his residence ; and there he arrived on the 20th of 
April ? but his suspicions were now a little more alarmed by the 
circumstance of this abode being but little suitable to the rank of 
its royal guest. He seems also to have been much struck by 
this remarkable and expressive neglect forming a striking con- 
trast with the studied magnificence with which he had prepared 
for the reception of the upstart emperor at Bladrid. In fact, 



the whole scene made a great impression on him ; but whilst he 
was engaged in considering his feelings and his doubts concern- 
ing the meaning of a reception which he had so little right to ex- 
pect, it was announced to him that Napoleon was on his way to 
pay him a visit. In a short time he arrived, accompanied by a 
number of his generals ; and the youthful monarch having gone 
down to the street door to receive him, the two monarchs em- 
braced each other with every appearance of friendship and af- 
fection. The Emperor of the French, as it is related by an eye- 
witness, staid but a short time with his majesty, and they em- 
braced each other again at parting; when, soon after, Marshal 
Duroc came to invite the king to dine with Napoleon, whoso 
carriages were coming to convey him to the castle of Marsac, 
about a mile and a half from Bayonne, then the residence of the 
French court. On his arrival there Bonaparte came as far as 
the steps of the coach to receive him, and having again embra- 
ced him, led him by the hand to the apartment provided for him. 

During these occurrences the Queen of Spain had interested 
herself very much with Murat for the release of Godoy ; and 
inconsequence Bonaparte himself had written to Ferdinand VII. 
previous to his having him in his power, to which the young 
monarch had merely answered that Godoy's life should be spared. 
But Bonaparte immediately wrote to Murat to demaud him from 
the Junta ; he in consequence was released, and immediately con- 
veyed to Bayonne, escorted by a guard ; and there he arrived on 
the 26th of April, had a castle appoiuted for his residence, and 
was treated in all respects as a person of the first consequence ; 
and on the last day of the same month the abdicated monarch, 
Avith his consort, arrived there also, thus putting the whole of the 
Spanish royal family into the power of Napoleon. 

To follow up the occurrences which ensued after this, pre- 
vious to the fiual imprisonment of the different branches of the 
royal family, and trace the deep policy and graft; villany of 
Bonaparte through the whole transaction, would be to encroach 



118 

too much ou our own subject.* We shall proceed, therefore, to 
the public cause of Spain, whose inhabitants paid very little at- 
tention to the various acts of abdication and renunciation in favour 
of JN'apoleon, but seemed determined to act for themselves. 

The policy of Bonaparte induced him to send also for the 
Queen of Etruria and her son, (daughter and grandson of the 
Spanish king,^ th«*j at Madrid; but this the populace opposed; 
though, at last, they permitted the unhappy prisoners to set off. 
The sorrow and alarm, however, of the queen and her son, had 
such an effect that the popular resentment and indignation were 
raised to the highest pitch, when an aid-de-camp of Murat's ar- 
rived with a detachment of French troops, and a scene of the 
bloodiest carnage commenced. It has been a matter of debate 
who were the first aggressors ; but that is of trifling consequence ; 
it is enough that the French began with volleys of musketry, by 
which numbers were killed, many of whom had not joined in the 
affray. The news immediately spread like wild fire, and every 
person who could procure arms rushed to the scene of action. 
The issue of this business unhappily only tended to rivet more 

* One occurrence which took place on this occasion is almost too incredi- 
ble for history, and perhaps surpasses events of any former times. 

In the evening of the 5th' of May, N apoleon went to visit the king and queen ; 
and there were present at this interview their son Don Carlos, <iodoy, and 
several of the Spanish grandees. After some time the young Ferdinand wa6 
sent for to hear, as one present had observed, " in the presence of the em- 
peror, expressions so disgusting and humiliating, that I dare not record them." 
The real scene, however, is known to have been thu3 r— the queen, in a trans- 
port of passion, addressing Ferdinand, cried out, " Traitor! you have for 
years meditated the death of the king your father ; but thanks to the vigi- 
lance, the zeal, and the loyalty, of the prince of peace, you have not been able 
to effect your purpose ; neither you, nor any of the infamous traitors who have 
co-operated with you for the accomplishment of your designs. 1 tell you to 
your face that you are my son, but not the son of the king ! and yet, without 
having any other right to the crown than those of your mother, you have 
sought to tear it from us by force. But I agree and demand that the Fmpe- 
ror Napoleon shall be umpire betweea us; Napoleon, to whom we cede an 
transfer our rights, to the exclusion of our own family. I call on him to pu- 
nish you and your associates as so many traitors, and abandon to him the whole 
Spanish nation." 

9 



119 

closely the chains of the capital, and indeed in some measure to 
crush, in its very infancy, the rising spirit of the Spanish peo- 
ple, who were now called upon by a proclamation of their late 
monarch, dated at Bayonne on the 4th of May, to obey Murat as 
the lieutenant general and viceroy of the kingdom, by his new 
title of " Grand Duke of Berg," and his still newer one of 
" Cousin to the King of Spain." 

Every means that could be taken to ensure the complete sub- 
jugation of Spain, and to prepare for the reception of the " In- 
trusive King," were now put in force. 

Bonaparte called an assembly of the notables throughout the 
kingdom, who were to send deputies to Bayonne, for the pur- 
pose of forming a new constitution. The Spanish nation, how- 
ever, had now opened its eyes, and was not to be blinded, even 
by the inauguration of King Joseph with a train of Spaniards 
at his heels, though some of them were of the first families in the 
country. 

Nor were the patriots of Spain ever misled by the proclama- 
tions of their former princes, (who now, hurried as prisoners 
into the interior of France, were content to sign any thing for 
the preservation of their lives,) but in a manner almost miracu- 
lous, not only in the provinces at home, but even in their most 
distant colonies, started up simultaneously, " as if moved by one 
indignant soul into an attitude of defence and defiance, and de- 
clared eternal war against their perfidious and insolent oppress- 
ors ; an event which certainly astonished all Europe : and no 
one perhaps more than the tyrant who had treated them with 
so much contempt." 

The enthusiasm Avhich burst forth in this country, in favour 
of the Spanish cause, both on the part of the government and of 
the people, is well remembered ; and perhaps never were the 
exertions of a government so universally applauded by a people 
as upon that occasion. 

In Spain, the insurrection, as it was called, spread rapidly ; pro- 
vincial juntas were established, which were soon resolved into oDe 
supreme central junta; a friendly concert was immediately esta« 



V20 

Wished between the patriots and the various British naval and mili- 
tary officers in the vicinity of Spain; the greatest harmony pre- 
vailed amongst the various provinces; and the French fleet in 
Cadiz harbour was" taken possession of. 

In Portugal, too, the sacred flame of liberty began to spread, 
and was fostered by the judicious conduct of the British admiral, 
Sir Charles Cotton ; an alliance offensive and defensive was 
entered into by the two regenerated nations of the peninsula; 
and fhe friendliest relations were established between them and 
Great Britain- 
Events of the most important nature, previous to our taking 
an active part, now took place with the greatest rapidity. In 
Andalusia, the battle of Baylen, and the subsequent surrender of 
the French army under Dupont, gave great spirits to the 
patriotic cause, and the French imperial armies were repulsed 
by almost unarmed citizens in every quarter. 

From Valencia General Moncey was repulsed with slaugh- 
ter and disgrace ; at Saragossa * the very women acquired mili- 
tary renown ; at Gerona, also, even the monks became a church 

* Without entering: minutely into the details of the Spanish exertions, we 
may notice aproof of the general enthusiasm on the 1. th of June, daring the 
battle of Saragossa. This was of the most desperate description. The first 
assault of the French produced a sanguinary conflict of two hours' duration ; 
which was still of douhtfulissue, when the brave patriots became furious, and, 
with irresistible impetuosity, fell upon their opponents, and gave no quarter to 
any that fell into their power. The result was a complete and signal defeat ot 
the French army. The enemy, having been reinforced, renewed the attack 
on the 30th, and the action which ensued continued until the 2d of July, 
when they were again defeated wiih immense slaughter. Several thousand 
women followed the brave patriots to battle, continually cheering their hus- 
bands, sons, and brothers, and uttering sentiments of the utmost detestation 
and abhorrence of the infamous oppressors of their country. They carried 
with them flaggons of wine, with which they occasionally refreshed the 
fatigued patriots. Fearless of death, many of them shared the perils of the 
conflict with their heroic countrymen ; and, to the eternal disgrace of the 
enemy be it related, five of these virtuous heroines, to whom the generosity 
of the ancients would have paid the most devout respect, were most cruelly 
put to death by the savage ruffians into whose power they unfortunately had 
fallen. 



121 

Tnilitant ; aud although the French General Duhesme marked his 
progress round Barcelona, and indeed throughout the north aud 
east of Spain, with the utmost rapacity and cruelty, yet the 
issue of the battles of Cabezon and of Medina del Rio Seco made 
it necessary for the " intrusive king," with his army, to leave 
Madrid.* The liberation of the Spanish troops in the north of 
Germany, so insidiously drawn away by Bonaparte, and their 
return to their native country, gave fresh spirits to the patriots ; 
whilst the progress of the insurrection in Portugal induced the 
British government to adopt a system of active cooperation ; 
and the French being now driven from the northern provinces 
of Spain, an army under the command of Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley, though destined for Portugal, where indeed it ultimately 
lauded, was now sent out, and its first assistance offered to the 
Spaniards. 

This expedition, which at first consisted of about 10,000 men, 
M'as assembled in Ireland, and sailed from Cork on the 12th of 

* On this occasion, Joseph plundered all he could lay his hands on, taking 
away the jewels and plate of the palaces, &c. on which it became a common 
jestatnongthe Spaniards, " that not being able to keep the crown upon his 
head, he had put it in his pocket." 

The French having prepared every thing for their march from Madrid on 
the 1st of August, (Joseph having already set off on the 3]st of July,) on 
the preceding evening they forced open the gates of the public treasury and 
bank, putting the inhabitants in such terror that they passed a most anxious 
night, thinking that a general pillage was about to take place. At two in the 
morning, a cannonade was heard, which, though at first considered as a fatal 
signal, was in fact but the precursor of the brightest and happiest day that ever 
rose over Madrid. On this signal all the guards were withdrawn, and all the 
French filed off towards the parade, whence they marched off. Scarcely 
did the day appear when all the people ran through the streets, and the posts 
of the guards, but nothing was to be found. They passed to the Retiro, (a 
palace in the environs,) and there they found only a few dying wretches, and 
here and there a dead body. They beheld, with amazement, the ditches, 
pallisadoes, and terrible batteries directed against the city. The gun car- 
riages were in flames ; above 70 cannon were spiked; and about 2,000 barrels 
of powder thrown into a large pond. The inhabitants of Madrid, on see- 
ing themselves delivered from the destructive apparatus, gave thanks to the 
Supreme Being, and immediately began to assvrme for their badge the por- 
trait of Ferdinand the 7th. 

16 



122 

July,* arriving at Corunna on the 20th of that month. A few 
days before his arrival at this port, the battle of Rio Seco had 
taken place ; and the Spaniards, unable to retain their posi- 
tions, were then retreating fast in different directions. Cuesta 
was then proceeding with one division to Salamanca; and Blake, 
with another, was pushing on for the mountains of Asturias. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley immediately, according to the spirit of 
his instructions, and influenced by the intelligence he received, 
offered the assistance of the force under his command to the Junta 
of Gallicia ; but they replied that they did not want men, and 
that they required nothing from the British government but 
money, arms, and ammunition. At the same time, they ex- 
pressed their confident expectations that the British army might 
be of great service to the general cause, if it could be employed 
in driving the French out of Lisbon. It was also stated that the 
French were still in force in the north of Portugal, not very dis- 
tant from Gallicia; and therefore against them, in the first place, 
Sir Arthur might commence an attack with every probability of 
success, and with the certainty of relieving the province of Gal- 
licia, if the insurrection at Oporto still existed, or could be re- 
vived when he reached that city. 

His services thus declined at Corunna, Sir Arthur sailed to 
Oporto, where he was informed by the bishop, who then acted 
as governor, that the Portuguese force in the north was fully 
sufficient to repel any probable attack of the French. In order 
now to ascertain where his forces might be of assistance, Sir 
Arthur left his little army at Oporto, and proceeded off Lisbon, 
for the purpose of having a conference with the English admiral, 
Sir Charles Cotton ; and with him he consulted on the practica- 
bility of forcing the entrance of the river Tagus, and making an 

• Sir Arthur Wellesley still retained his situation as chief secretary to the 
lord lieutenant ; and some altercation having taken place on that subject in 
the British parliament, it turned out, much to his credit and self denial, that 
he did not receive any salary, and therefore was honourably clear of all 
tharges of participating in a job. Indeed his disinterestedness has appeared on 
many other occasions, and is even now most fully exemplified in his con- 
stantly refusing to accept those pecuniary rewards which the generous grati- 
tude of both Spain and Portugal have repeatedly offered to him. 



123 

iltaek upon Lisbon. The business was decided, however, im- 
mediately, by his receiving a letter from General Spencer, who 
was then off Cadiz with about 6,000 men. It had been intended 
that this force should cooperate with the Spanish army under 
Castanos, in their operations against Dupont in Andalusia, or 
else in conjunction with Sir Arthur Wellesley's army ; and as 
the Seville Junta thought the aid of the British totally unneces- 
sary for the former service, and Sir Arthur was very judiciously 
of opinion that little could be expected from either his own 
force, or the smaller one of General Spencer, singly considered, 
he immediately sent orders to the latter officer to join him in 
order to proceed upon a plan of operations in Portugal, precon- 
certed with the naval commander. He, therefore, joined his own 
division ; and, having procured all the information possible re- 
specting the actual numerical strength and disposition of the 
French army, determined to make a landing in Mondego Bay, to 
the northward of Lisbon, where, although an open bay, yet he 
trusted he would be able to effect a landing, and to form his army 
in order of service without any immediate opposition from the 
enemy ; and perhaps even be assisted and supported by the Por- 
tuguese troops, which had already assembled and advanced 
towards Coimbra. 

Whilst preparing for these measures, Sir Arthur received 
despatches from the British government informing him that 5,000 
men, under General Anstruther, were proceeding to join him, 
and that 12,000 more under Sir John Moore would speedily 
be sent for the same purpose. Along with this he received in- 
formation from the shore that Dupont had surrendered, and that 
the army of Junot was considerably weakened, by the absolute 
necessity of detaching 6,000 troops under the command of Gene- 
ral Loison to quell an insurrection that had broken out in the 
south of Portugal. 

The expedition arrived in Mondego Bay on the 29lh of July.* 
On the 30th, Sir Arthur Wellesley rejoined it, and the signal 
was immediately made to prepare to land. On the 31st, bow- 

• Sir Arthur Wellesley during this month attained the rank of lieutenant 
general. 



124 

ever, this was found impracticable from the surf on the beach, 
which, even in the calmest weather, runs very high. The Alfred 
lost nearly twenty of her people in sending boats on shore, and 
some men belonging to the transports were drowned. On the 
morning of the first of August the first division of the troops 
was landed, and marched towards Lavos, where they encamped 
until the whole were disembarked. General Crawford's division 
was the last to laud : but a proportion of artillery were sent on 
shore every day. 

The joy with which the troops were received by the Portu- 
guese inhabitants was excessive. As the boats advanced to the 
shore, the air was rent by the acclamations of the people on the 
beach ; and nothing was heard but blessings on the name of Great 
Britain, the deliverer of the oppressed. Notwithstanding the ap- 
parent difficulties attached to the landing of the expedition at 
this place, it must be recollected, that this was the only spot 
where he could land so as to be within a few days' march of Lisbon, 
and af the same time to possess facilities for the necessary refresh- 
ment of so large a body of troops after tlieir voyage, and for 
their requisite equipment for a march to the capital. Indeed we 
are assured, that during the stay of the army at this place, the 
whole of the troops were put in such a state of comfort, from 
their supplies of every kind, that they were in a condition to 
undertake any fatigue or privation without a murmur, or any real 
detriment to the service. Besides, he was also enabled to receive 
assistance from Oporto, where all the mules and carriages of the 
country had been provided by the bishop of that place for his as- 
sistance, and had the fairest prospect of concentrating all his force 
with that under Generals Spencer and Anstruther, both of which 
detachments were important to him before he could well venture 
to approach the French force, which would otherwise have been 
too numerous for him to venture to attack. It was also a matter 
of serious consideration, that Marshal Bessieres had been suc- 
cessful against the patriotic army in Leon, and might, therefore, 
have easily advanced towards Portugal to relieve Junot ; whilst, 
by choosing this position, Sir Arthur Wellesley would have had 
it ia his power to intercept him, and to have given him battle, 



125 

before he could possibly form a junction with that general.* It 
happened, fortunately, however, for the general cause, that in con- 
sequence of the successes of the Spanish army in the south of 
Spain, Marshal Bessieres found himself checked from am ad- 
vance of that kind ; and, from some circumstances of disaster 
was soon after compelled to retrograde from Beuaveute to Bur- 
gos. 

The certainty of Bessieres having retreated upon the latter 
place, and the junction of Spencer's division, now enabled Sir 
Arthur Wellesley to undertake, consistently with the utmost 
prudence, active operations against Junot, and that with every 
appearance of success. He, therefore, having completed all his 
arrangements with respect to the future comfort of the troops, 
and to their complete equipment for their march, moved early in 
the morning of the 9th of August to the southward, carrying 
with him seventeen days' provision for the whole army, so 
that, should the fleet be blown off the coast, he might yet act in- 
dependently of it. Each soldier carried three days' food in his 
knapsack ; there Avere five days' laden on mules ; and nine in the 
commissariat. Each soldier was also furnished with 120 rounds 
of ball cartridge. 

The British army reached the city of Leyriaf on the 12th, 

* The difficulties Sir A rthur had to struggle with were very great, par- 
ticularly from want of co-operation on the part of the Portuguese. Unfortu- 
nately a coolness arose from a demand made by the latter for a supply of 
provisions from the English stores, which it was impossible to comply with, 
without exposing our own troops to insufficient or precarious sustenance. In 
consequence of this refusal, the Portuguese corps separated from the British 
force ; and though Sir \ rthur used all his endeavours, and made every reasona- 
ble proposition to reunite the two armies, he could not accomplish his purpose. 
He was even refused the reinforcement of 1,000 infantry, 400 light troops, 
and 200 cavalry, whom he promised to support from the British stores. In 
consequence of this want of co-operation, he was forced to abandon his first 
intention of attacking the posts of the enemy which were established along 
the coast, and to advance upon Roleia. 

\ At Leyria information was received that Junot had taken possession of 
the strong passes in the mountains on the high road to Lisbon, with the ad- 
vance of his army, under Generals Laborde and Breniere : and that he pro- 
posed moving the division of his troops under Loison to the assistance of the 
former, and would most probably bring up, liimself, the main strength of the 



126 

which had lately been occupied by the Freuch, but who had re- 
treated to Ahobaca on their approach, having first plundered the 
town, and committed the greatest atrocities. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley marched with the British force from 
Leyria* on the 13th of August, and arrived at Ahobaca the 
next day, which place the enemy had abandoned on the pre- 
ceding night. On the 15th he arrived at Caldas, when he found 

French army on the same position. It was also now ascertained, that the 
enemy's advance posts were at Ahobaca, about a day's march in front of the 
British army. * nder these circumstances it became essential to their future 
success, that the British should possess themselves of these passes, before La- 
horde should be reinforced by Loison, and perhaps by Junot himself with the 
whole of the French army, in a positio.i which, thus strengthened, might op- 
pose the most serious obstacles to the future success of the campaign. 

It has been said that Sir Arthur Wellesley was so anxious for glory, that 
he advanced with unnecessary rapidity, for the purpose of gathering laurels, 
hefore others should come to supersede him in the command. It is evident, 
however, that if Sir Arthur had not acted as he did at Roleia, and then pushed 
on for Vimiera, even the convention itself could not have taken place, as the 
French would have been so strongly posted, as to bid defiance to the whole 
concentrated force of the three expeditions from Cork. Portsmouth and 
Harwich. To accomplish the object in view, every species of baggage or 
camp equipage, which could at all impede the rapid movements of the army, 
even to the soldiers' tents, were left at Leyria ; and for the remainder of their 
march the British troops slept in the open air ; which, indeed, as the weather 
was very fine, was not attended with any inconvenience. 

* Until their arrival at Leyria, the army regularly encamped every night, 
principally in the woods and vineyards. Sir Arthur purposely avoided the 
towns and villages which lay in his route, in order to escape, as much as pos- 
sible, putting the inhabitants to inconvenience. It may also here be remarked, 
that the troops, on taking up the ground for the night, were always encamped 
in columns, in their order of march, instead of the usual mode of encamp- 
ment in line — by which much delay was avoided, both in encamping and in 
breaking up for their march, and was on the whole much more adapted to 
the comfort and convenience of the soldiery than the usual method. From 
the commencement of the march from Mondego Bay, up to the gallant busi- 
ness of Vimiera, there was not a single punishment inflicted for straggling or 
plunder, even of the minutest article. 

Every day during the march each soldier had a pound of fresh meat, and a 
sufficiency of bread and wine for his comfortable subsistence ; and on coming 
into action there was scarcely a sick man in the hospitals of the camp, the 
whole army being in such a state of vigour and health that they were capable 
of any enterprise they might be put upon. 






127 

that the enemy, about 4,000 in number, were posted about tea 
miles distant at Borica, occupying Brilos, about three miles 
from Caldas, with their advanced posts. As the possession 
of this latter village was important to his further operations, he 
immediately determined to occupy it; and, as soon as the British 
iofantry arrived upon the ground, directed that the place should 
be occupied by a detachment consisting of four companies of 
riflemen, of the 60th and 95th regiments. The enemy, consisting 
of a small piquet of infantry and a few cavalry, made a trifling 
resistance and retired; but they were followed by a detachment 
of the English riflemen to the distance of three miles from Brilos. 
The riflemen were then attacked by a superior body of the 
enemy, who attempted to cut them oft* from the main body of 
the detachment, but which had now advanced to their support ; 
larger bodies of the enemy then appeared on both the flanks of 
the detachment; and it was with some difficulty, that Major Ge- 
neral Spencer (who had gone out when he heard of the advance 
of the riflemen) was enabled to effect their retreat to the village 
of Obidos, of which, however, they were left in quiet possession, 
the enemy removing from that viciuity. 

This was the first operation of our troops ; and, though they 
were overpowered by numbers, it showed that general spirit 
which has since so much distinguished them throughout the Por- 
tuguese campaigns. 

Whilst Sir Arthur was at Caldas, the French General Laborde 
remained in his position at Roleia; he, therefore, determined to 
attack him on the morning of the 1 7th.* 

From the information which Sir Arthur received, he had rea- 

* It may be necessary to premise, that Roleia is situated on an eminence, 
having a plain in its front, at the end of a valley which commences at Caidas, and 
is closed to the southward by mountains, which join the hills, forming the val- 
ley on the left, looking from Caldas. In the centre of the valley, and about 
eight miles from Roleia is the town and ancient Moorish fort of Obidos, from 
whence the enemy's piquet had been driven on the 15th, from which time they 
had posts in the hills on both sides of the valley as well as in the plain in 
front of their army, which was posted on the heights in front of Roleia, its 
right resting upon the hills, its left upon an eminence on which was a wind- 
mill, and the whole corering four or five passes into the mountains in their 
rear. 



128 

son to believe that the enemy's force consisted of at least six thou* 
sand men, of which about five hundred were cavalry, with five 
pieces of cannon ; and he also understood that General Loison, 
who was at Rio Major, would join General Laborde by his right 
in the night of the 1 6th. Sir Arthur accordingly formed his 
plan, on this information, and the army, breaking up from Cal- 
das in the morning of the 17th, was formed into three columns; 
the right consisting of twelve hundred Portuguese infantry, and 
fifty Portuguese cavalry, being destined to turn the enemy's left, 
and penetrate into the mountains in his rear, the left, consist- 
ing of Blajor General Ferguson's and Brigadier General Bowes's 
brigades of infantry, three companies of riflemeu, a brigade 
of light artillery, and twenty British and twenty Portuguese 
cavalry, was destined, under the. command of Major General 
Ferguson, to ascend the hills at Obidos, to turn all the enemy's 
posts on the left of the valley, as well as the right of his post at 
Roleia ; this corps was also ordered to watch the motions of Ge- 
neral Loison on the enemy's right; the centre column consisting 
of four brigades under Generals Hill, Nightingale, Crawford, 
and Fane, with four hundred Portuguese light infantry, the Bri- 
tish and Portuguese cavalry, a brigade of nine pounders, and 
another of six, were destined to attack Laborde's position in 
front.* 

* From the old Moorish fort of Obidos, the road runs to the southward 
over an inclined sandy plain, towards Roleia, a large comfortable village of 
about one hundred and eighty houses, every one of which possesses either an 
enclosed garden or an orchard. This assemblage of dwellings and enclosures 
occupies a small level plain, bounded on every side by heights, except to the 
west, where a few gentle swells only appear. 

The country bordering the road, though commanded by the rising ground, 
is open and favourable for an advancing army, until it reaches the skirts of the 
gardens about Roleia. The face of it then changes to the left, entering from 
Obidos ; built on an elevation is a small church, offering a good post for tempo- 
rary defence, and to reduce which, if defended with spirit, artillery would be 
requisite. Orchards succeed, with olive plantations, vineyards, and gardens ; 
the whole encompassed by hedges and ditches, overlooked by the woody 
heights, and which must be scoured by light troops before an army can safely 
pass. The French of course failed not to make the most of these advantages ; 
and their riflemen, placed in every convenient spot, greatly unnoyed our troops 



I2y 

Such was the force of our little army. 

The columns being formed, the troops moved from Obidos 
about seven in the morning, the riflemen being detached into the 
hills on the left of the valley to keep up the communication be- 
tween the centre and left columns, and to protect the march of 
the former along the valley. The enemy's posts were succes- 
sively driven in, whilst the artillery moved along the high road, 
until the whole army formed in front of the French position, who, 
finding the British advancing rapidly, immediately retired by 
the passes into the mountains with the utmost regularity, and 
with such celerity of movement, that, notwithstanding the rapid 
advance of the British infantry, they escaped with but little 
loss, owing, indeed, to our want of cavalry to join in the pursuit.* 

in their approach ; and many a sharp contest took place on the face of these 
wooded heights. 

^ Just without the village of Misericordia, and to the right of the high road, 
is a rising ground, on which stand four wind-mills of strong masonry ; here, 
hidden by the buildings, the British artillery was placed ; an olive and cork 
grove skirts the base of this mount, and is extended parallel to the front of 
Monte Santa Anna, a distance of 1,000 paces to the left, shading the road, 
and occupying nearly the whole breadth of the plain. 

Though not altogether close, it gave good cover, and was not easily seen 
into by the enemy. The principal column of the British was, therefore, en- 
abled to approach the French position so elosely, that it deployed for the dif- 
ferent attacks without experiencing any great loss, notwithstanding the cou, 
atari! fire from the enemy's artillery planted on the summit of the hill. 

The situation in which the British artillery was placed was so well chosen, 
that much praise is due to the officer commanding that part of the force. 
The French artillery, on the contrary, was placed so high that it could not he 
brought to bear upon either our line or our cannon, after our troops had lefe 
the grove ; yet it is but justice to say, it was advantageously seated to protect 
the retreat of their advanced parties, as well as to gall our columns or. their 
wiarch towards the position which the enemy had occupied. 

* A letter from an o~cer informs us that in the action of the 17th of August, 
the : th regiment commenced the attack, and was bravely led on by ( olouei 
Lake The enemy occupied the ullage of Coiumbera, situated on'the prin- 
cipal road to Lisbon, and of course necessary for our further operations. \i- 
ter some skirmishing, and under a heavy fire from the surrounding heights, we 
drove the French from this point ; but their principal position was on the 
heights o Koleia, which overlook and overtop the village. These were our 
aextobjeet; and on comparison, Salisbury Craig* (near Edinburgh) will gire 



mo 

The position which the enemy now took up was a formidable 
one ; but Sir Arthur immediately made dispositions for attacking 
you the nearest .dea of them, with the exception of a few passages leading 
from the top. Our enterprising antagonists, you may be sure, had not neglect- 
ed these ; and climbing up through briars and brushwood, plied us successively 
■with grape and musketry. I commanded the right centre company, die ith 
from die right ; each scrambled up the best way he could ; and on gaining the 
summit, 1 found several officers, and about 60 privates of the 29th, who were 
in front of me : only one of my own company reached the top with me, the 
rest following fast. Here we lost that distinguished ornament of his profes- 
sion, my good friend Colonel Lake, and many other gallant officers, long my 
companions in the regiment. My poor private, the moment he stepped up. 
was also knocked down by my side ; in the agonies of death, he asked leave to 
shake hands with me ; he was a good soldier, and few knew their duty better. 
Upon advancing, we were immediately attacked by a French platoon of 90 
men, whom we repeatedly repulsed ; these were, however, joined by ano- 
ther of the same number, who charged us with the bayonet, with whom we 
sustained the unequal conflict; but our Utile band being now considerably ad- 
vanced in front, and reduced to 25, Major Wray, Captain Ford, and myself, 
.end our brave companions, were under the painful necessity of su rendering- 
Even this, however, did not satisfy the sanguinary enemy, who seemed bent 
on bayoneting us all. After many narrow escapes, General Bernier at last 
came up, and with difficulty put an end to the carnage, and to the distressing 
scene around of the dead and the dying. 1 have been oftener than once en- 
-aged with French troops, and my former opinion still r mains unchanged ; 
that upon any thing like equal terras, they have no chance with the British bay- 
onet ; so it would have been the case now. General Bernier, I understand, 
(he was taken afterwards at Vimiera,) is now a prisoner in England, where our 
countrymen ought to treat him with every possible attention; he net only 
saved us, but the lives of many other parties. We were hurried away towards 
Lisbon, and put on board the Vasco de Gama in the Tagus, from which, by 
General Kellerman's convention, we were soon exchanged. Soldiers may 
mention their hardships, but never complain. I am now quite recovered, 
thank God. In place of wounded, they were very nearly returning us all 
killed, considering itinevitable. During the time we were prisoners, and be- 
fore the convention was concluded, we dined with the commander in chief of 
the French army, General Junot. The dinner service was all silver plate, 
&c. and the desert was served completely in gold. In short, it was the most 
splendid thing of the kind I ever sat down to. There were about twenty 
French officers, high in rank, of the party, who were all very attentive; 
General Junot himself was equally so. I never did enjoy more pleasure 
than when General Beresford ordered me to march back at the head of 
90 British prisoners to the camp, where we were jos fully received. Indeed, 
my own brave company drew up, and gave us three times three cheers. The 
army is still encamped, and has suffered considerably from sickness, &c. 



131 

it ; aud the riflemen being already in the mountains on his right, 
no time was lost in assailing the different passes, not only for the 
support of the rifle corps, but with the hopes of a complete defeat 
of the French division. The British army resolutely advanced 
to the different passes, which were all difficult of access, and some 
of them most obstinately defended by the enemy ; but nothing 
could withstand the impetuosity of the British, particularly of 
the 9th and 29th regiments in the centre, who reached the point 
of attack some time before those on the flanks could arrive up. 
The enemy were now driven from all the passes which led up 
the mountains, and the British troops were advanced iu the plains 
on their summits, the 9th and 29th being most in front, which 
two regiments sustained three most daring and gallant attacks 
made by the French troops in order to cover the retreat of their 
main body ; but though the assailants were, in return, as gallantly 
repulsed, yet they succeeded in effecting their retreat, princi- 
pally from the want of cavalry on the part of the British, and from 
the difficulty of bringing up through the passes a sufficient number 
of troops aud artillery to support those who had first ascended. 

In this affair Sir Arthur Wellesley gave every credit to his 
enemy for the ability and celerity with which he defended his 
formidable positions; but it must be remembered, that although 
the British army was superior in numbers, yet it was only a 
very small part of it that came into action. Immediately after 
the battle of Roleia, Brigadier General Anstruther arrived from 
England with reinforcements, and the French began a general 
movement, as General Loison joined Laborde at Torres Vedras, 
when they both began their march towards Lisbon, after which 
General Junot arrived at Torres Vedras Avith a small corps, and 
there was every appearance of a general junction of the whole 
French army between that place and the capital. 

On the 18th Sir Arthur Wellesley heard the favourable in- 
telligence of the division of the British force (despatched from 
Harwich) under Brigadier General Anstruther, being off the 
coast of Peniche.- He accordingly marched to Lourinho, about 
eight miles distant from Villa Verde, inclining towards the sea, in 
order to cover 4he landing of the newly arrived force, and to 



132 

effect a junction; both which measures being completely effected 
in the evening of the 19th, on the 20th Sir Arthur advanced 
with a strength of nearly 18,000 effective men, in pursuit of the 
enemy, and took up his ground that evening at the village ofVi- 
niiera,* which he occupied. 

In the evening of that very day, Lieutenant General Sir Harry 
Burrard arrived from England., to take the command of the troops 
in Portugal until Sir Hew Dalrymple should join from Gibraltar. 
General Burrard bad left that part of the expedition which he 
commanded some days before, in the care of Sir John MoorCj 
and came himself in a fast sailing vessel to the coast. Having 
had communication with Sir Harry on board, Sir Arthur, in the 
belief that he would be attacked the next day by the enemy, 
ordered the troops to be under arms at sunrise on the 21st. 

After the affair of the 17th General Laborde had fallen back 
upon Torres Vedras, a tolerably large town, twenty-one miles 
north of Lisbon, on the day of his defeat, having retreated in the 
whole about seventeen miles, and was joined in the evening by 
General Loison. General Junot arrived there on the following 
day; and thus, the whole French force being concentrated, they 
determined, as Sir Arthur Wellesley had foreseen, on attacking 
the British atVimiera. 

The English troops were under arms, agreeably to their orders, 
by break of day of the 21st; but the French not appearing, they 
were allowed to take some refreshment. About seven o'clock, 

* The village of Viraiera is situated on a valley with the river Maceira run- 
ning through it : at the hack, and to the westward and northward of this vil- 
lage, there is a mountain, the western point of which touches the sea, whilst 
the eastern is separated by a deep ravine from the heights, over which passes 
the road leaciiug from Lourinho and the northward, to Vimiera. On tliis 
mountain, the greater part of the British army was posted ; and on the 
southern and eastern sides of the town, the riflemen were posted, near a hill 
which was entirely commanded from the main position of the army, and 
which at the same time commanded all the vicinity to the southeast. The 
road to Lourinho passed on its left; but it had not been occupied, as the camp 
was only taken up for one night, and there was no water in its vicinity- The 
cavalry and the reserve of artillery were in the valley between the hills on 
which the British infantry were posted, so as both to flank and support the ad- 
vancet) guard. 



133 

certain intelligence of the approach of the French having 
reached the commander in chief, the generate was beat, and the 
whole army assembled in a moment with a regularity and quick- 
ness most admirable, and with an ardour to be led against the 
enemy which no clanger could damp, actuated as they were by 
truly British feelings, and the utmost confidence in the skill of 
their leader. There being still time, Sir Arthur altered his posi- 
tion, and took that in which he determined to await the attack of 
the enemy, about a mile in front of the village. 

The French first appeared at eight o'clock in the morning, in 
large bodies of cavalry on the left, upon the heights, and on the , 
Lourinho road ; and the eye of the British general soon decided 
that their object was to make an attack on the advanced guard, 
and upon the left of the position ; he, therefore, ordered Gene- 
ral Ferguson's brigade to move across the ravine with three 
pieces of cannon to the heights on the Lourinho road, where he 
was followed by other brigades, which all formed with their 
right upon the valley which leads into Vimiera, and their left 
upon the other ravine which separates those heights from the 
range towards the sea, and on which the Portuguese troops were 
posted, supported by Brigadier General Crawford's brigade. Sir 
Arthur considering that the advanced guard, on the heights to 
the southeast, was sufficient for their defence, Major General 
Hill was ordered with his brigade as a support to the main body 
of infantry in the centre, and to serve as a reserve for the whole 
line; and in aid of this the cavalry were drawn up in their rear, 
The enemy's attack now began in several columns upon the whole 
of the troops on the height in the«centre ; and on the left they ad- 
vanced, notwithstanding the fire of the riflemen, close to the 50th 
regiment, and were only checked and driven back by the bayonets 
of that corps. The second battalion of the 43d regiment was 
also closely engaged with them in the road which leads into Vi- 
miera; a part of that corps having been ordered into the church- 
yard to prevent them from entering the town. On the right of 
the position they were repulsed also by the bayonets of the 57th 
regiment, which corps was successfully supported by the second 



184 

battaliori of the o2d regiment, which, by an advance in column 
took the enemy in flank. 

Hitherto the British operations were completely defensive; 
but now Brigadier General Ackland's brigade, in its advance to 
its position on the heights on the left, attacked the enemy in flank, 
whilst a cannonade was kept up in the flank of their columns by 
the artillery on those heights. At length, after a most obstinate 
contest, the whole body of the French, in this quarter, was driven 
back in confusion from the attack, with the loss of seven pieces 
of cannon, many prisoners, and a great number of officers and 
soldiers killed and wounded. They were pursued by the small 
detachment of the 28th lijrht dragoons ; but the enemy's cavalry 
were so much superior in numbers that this detachment suffered 
much, Lieutenaut Colonel Taylor being killed whilst leading 
it on. 

Nearly at the same period of time the enemy attacked the 
heights in the road to Lourinho, supported by a large body of 
cavalry, and conducting themselves with all the impetuosity so 
congenial to their mode of warfare. This attack, however, was 
received with great steadiness by Major General Ferguson's bri- 
gade, consisting of the 36th, 40th, and 71st regiments; and with- 
out waiting for the enemy to close, the British charged them 
with such gallantry that they instantly gave way, whilst the 
whole lice continued to advance, supported by Brigadier General 
Nightingale's brigade, which, as the ground extended, advanced 
and formed part of the first line. This support was further 
strengthened by the 29th regiment, and by Brigadier Generals 
Bower and Acklaud with their* brigades, whilst Brigadier Gene- 
ral Crawford and his division, with the Portuguese troops in two 
lines, advanced upon the height on the left. 

The advance of General Ferguson's brigade was decisive ; for 
he took six pieces of cannon, made many prisoners, and killed 
ami wounded a great number. 

A slight attempt was afterwards made by the French to recover 
part of their artillery, by an attack upon the 71st and 82d regi- 
ments, which were halted in a valley in which it had been takeu ; 
but these regiments immediately retired from the low grounds in 



135 

the valley, a little distance up the heights, where they halted, 
faced about, fired, and agaiu advanced upon the enemy, who by 
this time had advanced to their former position in the low 
ground, and from whence they were soon driven with a very great 
loss. 

The field of battle was now completely in possession of the 
British array, although the French had concentrated the whole 
of their force in Portugal in one spot, with a great superiority 
both of cavalry and artillery. 

Never were the valour and discipline of his majesty's troops 
more conspicuous than upon this occasion, and the commander 
in chief gave them all due praise for their gallant conduct ; but 
though all the merit of the conduct of this action is certainly 
due to Lieut. General Welleslcy, it is necessary to mention that 
he was superseded in the command in the very middle of it by 
Lieutenant General Sir Harry Burrard, who landed soon after the 
enemy's attack had commenced. He did not claim any of the well 
earned praise, however, due to Sir Arthur; but very can- 
didly stated in Ids despatches that he was fortunate enough to reach 
the field of action in time to witness and approve of every disposi- 
tion that had been, and was afterwards, made by Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley, his comprehensive mind furnishing a ready resource in every 
emergency, and rendering it quite unnecessary to direct any 
alteration. 

The loss of the British army, in such an extended line, was 
certainly very great, but not so beavy as might have been ex- 
pected, amounting to 135 killed, of whom four were officers, 534 
wounded, including 37 officers, and the total of killed, wounded, 
and missing, amounting to 740. This glorious battle was fought 
on Sunday the 21st of August, and we have seen that Sir Harry 
Burrard arrived even during it3 progress; but it is a curious 
fact, that a superior officer, in the person of Lieutenant General 
Sir Hew Dalrymple, arrived the very next day and took com- 
mand of the British army. 

A few hours after his arrival, General Kellerman came in from 
the French lines with a flag of truce from Junot, (the soi disant 
Due d'Abrantes,) in order to propose an agreement for a cessation 



136 

ot hostilities, for the purpose of concluding a convention ibr 
the evacuation of Portugal by the French troops. 

Ou this occasion, Sir Arthur Wellesley was appointed by the 
commander in chief to commuuicate with General Kellermari, 
and some articles were proposed and partly acceded to ; but, as 
it was necessary to have the concurrence of the British naval 
commander in chief then laying in the Tagus, he very properly 
objected to the 7th article, which stipulated for the neutrality 
of the port of Lisbon as far as regarded a Russian squadron, 
then lying there, and for its being permitted to sail without inter- 
ruption. 

On this occurrence it was regulated that Lieutenant Colonel 
Murray, quartermaster general to the army, should proceed, 
along with General Kellerman, to the discussion of the other ar- 
ticles, and to conclude a definitive arrangement founded on them- 
Much discussion now took place, and the commander in chief 
found it necessary to avail himself of the limited period pre- 
scribed for the suspension of hostilities, to move the army for- 
wards, and to place the several columns upon the routes by which 
they were to advance; and at length the ratifications of the 
definitive convention were exchanged on the 30th of August, 1808* 

* The purport of this convention was, that Portugal should be delivered 
tip to the British troops, and that the French army should evacuate with arras 
and baggage, but not as prisoners of war. That the latter should be trans- 
ported to France in British vessels, in which the French army should also 
carry all its artillery, tumbrils, horses, and sixty rounds of ammunition for 
each gun, together with all the property of the army, private property, 
military chest, cavalry horses, &c. &c 

Before the action, General Junot harangued his army in the following 
laconic terms — " Frenchmen ! there is the sea. You must drive those En- 
glish into it !" In fact they did their utmost for three hours and a half to 
obey his orders, but never during that time made the smallest impression on 
the English line, although they repeatedly rallied, and tried every thing which 
could be effected by rapidity of movement, and particularly of attack. At 
length, wearied out and beaten, they were forced to give way in every direc- 
tion, and were pursued off the field of battle by the British infantry for a dis- 
tance of three miles. 

On this glorious and ever memorable day, the most conspicuous circum- 
stance connected with it is, doubtless, the conduct of the British commander 



w 

Aiter the convention, Sir Artlmr Wellesley, Lord Paget, Gene- 
ral Ferguson, and a number of officers of inferior rank, came 
home on leave of absence.* 

in chief, as well from his rank as his responsibility — on him every thing turn- 
ed — to his conduct every one looked — the good or the evil which might result 
from the expedition was referred to him alone. 

It is proper further to remark, that during the whole of this period, Sir Arthur 
never went under cover at night, but always slept on the ground in the open 
air ; he was the first up, and the last down, of the whole camp ; sleeping 
constantly in his clothes, and his horse piqueted near him, ready saddled, to 
be mounted at a moment's warning. 

During the whole of this anxious period, he was cheerful, affable, and easy 
of access— enduring every privation himself, he was attentive to the wants of 
all, and ever active to obviate them. 

Of his dispositions in the field notice has already been taken. In persona* 
bravery he has been rarely equalled, never excelled. Conspicuous by the 
star of the order he adorns, he was constantly in the hottest part of the 
action ; whenever a corps was to be led on, from the death of its officer, or 
any other unexpected cause, Sir Arthur was on the spot at the head of it. 

" Is it wonderful, then," is asked in the very perspicuous eulogiuui from 
which we have selected so much — " Is it wonderful that such a man should 
be the idol of his soldiers, and the admiration of his brother officers ?" These 
sentiments were universally shown, when he was cheered by the whole line 
after the action of the 21st, exclaiming, " This glorious day is our old gene- 
ral's" — and when congratulated by the general officers on the victory, they all 
eagerly ascribed it to him, as " exclusively his own!"** 

* Previous to the departure of Sir Arthur Wellesley, he received from the 
general officers a present of a piece of plate of the value of one thousand 
guineas, and a similar one from the field officers serving under him, " as tes- 
timonies of the high esteem in which they held him as a man, and of the un- 
bounded confidence they placed in him as an officer." 

** It is worthy of remark, that from the day on which he took the com- 
mand of the army, until the day on which he resigned it, but three desertions 
took place ; — those were all from the 5th battalion of the 60th, a rifle corps ; 
and the parties were foreigners. Those men were caught and delivered up 
by the Portuguese to the English provost marshal; but were released without 
punishment, in consequence of the deportment of the corps to which they 
belonged. In presence of the whole army, Sir Arthur thanked them for their 
uniform gallant conduct, and restored them these men. without ptTnishmenl 
?s the best rOMiird he coiild bestow on them- 
18 



138 

It must be confessed that the general regret and indignation of 
the whole nation was raised by this convention to a great height. 
In fact the throne was besieged, as it were, with petitions from all 
parts of the kingdom, calling strenuously for an inquiry into the 
motives, which could have led to the transaction. Much cla- 
mour was also attempted to be excited against Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley, although he was no longer commander in chief when it took 
place ; but, said those who thought proper to lay the blame on 
him, " he was the officer who signed the preliminary articles." 
To this his advocates answered, that he had merely signed those 
articles by order of his superior officers ; " but then," replied 
his calumniators, " why did not he object to the business en- 
tirely ?" 

Before Ave enter more into the historical detail of the conse- 
quences of the convention, we shall, however, make one or two ob- 
servations, which will perhaps set this part of the question at rest. 
In the first place, it is well known that Sir Arthur Wellesley, on 
many occasions, expressed to his friends in private his disappro- 
bation of the convention; we cannot, therefore, suppose that he 
AVas active in its formation; and to the charge, that he did nof 
hint any disapprobation when in consultation with the other 
generals, that is certainly nothing more than a bare surmise, and 
must fall to the ground when the facts of the case are considered. 

When the proposals were first made by Junot, through the 
medium of General Kellerman, it is evident that the preliminary 
articles were sent ready written in French, and that they were 
not drawn up conjointly by the two negotiators, Generals Wel- 
lesley and Kellerman. All, therefore, that Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley had to do, was to receive the French proposals, to lay them 
before the British commander in chief, and to obey his orders to 
sign them as a basis for further discussion, for the formation of 
a definitive convention.* This was an order which he could 

* Though we have hazarded the speculation, and certainly not an improper 
one, that Sir Arthur Wellesley, in signing the preliminaries, acted only as an 
agent, we feel it but justice to all parties, to state more fully, that when Sir Hew- 



139 

not disobey; an order which involved him io no responsibility. 
ButAvhen these preliminary articles were to be acted upon, what 
was the case ? — Why, that Sir Arthur no longer continued as 
the negotiator, but was superseded by Colonel Murray, when 
the final articles were drawn up in English, still evidently 
upon the skeleton of a French firojet, as appears from the at- 
tached observations of the English commander in chief. 

Now, nobody ever thought of charging Colonel Murray with 
having done wrong in signing and arranging the final articles, a 
business, too, which Sir Arthur Wellesley had declined ; if so, 
still less can any blame possibly attach to the latter for merely 
going through the official forms of the acceptance of a projet iu 
order that it might be discussed. In fact, he had no right to 
refuse its acceptance in the first place, and when desired to sign 
it according to official form, he must have been guilty of disobe- 
dience of orders had he refused, having already voluntarily 
accepted the office of negotiator. 

It is evident that no blame, therefore, could attach to him in- 
dividually in this business as an active agent ; but had he even 
appro /ed of its principle, even then, it is a question of opinion 
whether the transaction was blamable or not. Indeed, the mem- 

Dalrymple stated to the court that he had been grossly aspersed in the pub- 
lic prints, to serve, as it would seem, the cause of a more favoured officer, 
&c. and that he now pledged himself that Sir Harry Burrard, Sir Arthur 
Wellesley, and himself, were present with General Kellei-man when the pre- 
liminaries were discussed and settled ; that. Sir Arthur Wellesley bore that 
prominent part in the discussion to which the important situation he held in 
the country, the glorious victory he had lately obtained, and the information, 
more particularly of a local nature, which he possessed, so well entitled him 
to assume — Sir Arthur with great candour replied, that he regretted exceed- 
ingly that any thing should have appeared in the public prints, which could 
be supposed to have the effect of serving him at the expense of the conduct 
or character of Sir Hew Dalrymple ; and he disclaimed, in his own name and 
that of his relatives and friends, any approbation or knowledge of such senti- 
ments. He then added, " that he had agreed with the commander in chief 
on the principle of those articles, though he had differed from him in some of 
the details ; he had signed the preliminaries at- the desire of Sir Hugh Dal- 
rymple, but not in consequence of any command or compulsion" 



140 

bers of the board of inquiry soon after instituted, who were cer- 
tainly the best qualified to judge of the business from having the 
whole evidence before them, and from their military habits of 
life, even they were divided in opinion, with regard to its expe- 
diency.* 

Their statement, however, seems evidently to clear up any 
doubts which may still remain respecting Sir Arthur Wellesley's 
conduct and opinions during the Avhole transaction ; for they 
stated, that soon after noon on the day of the battle of Vimiera 
the firing had ceased, and the enemy's cavalry were seen from 
the left of the British army, in bodies of about 200, by General 
Ferguson; and about the same time General Spencer saw a line 
formed, about three miles in front of the British centre. About 
half past tAvelve Sir Arthur Wellesley proposed to Sir Harry 

* During the progress of the inquiry, on the 22(1 of November, Sir Ar- 
thur Wellesley found it necessary to enter more fully into his own vindi- 
cation, particularly after the delivery of a written paper by Sir Hew Dalrym- 
ple ; and he then stated that the force he commanded consisted of 13,000 men, 
and he was taught to expect the aid of 6,000 Portuguese ; the French army 
comprised 20,500 men, and was in possession of the fortress of Elvas, which 
in strength was inferior to none of the second class in Europe ; yet he felt con- 
fident that the British force was competent to advance against the enemy, 
and bring the contest to a successful issue — that the line of march he had pro- 
posed to pursue was in his opinion every way preferable to that chosen by Sir 
Hew Dalrymple, as it enabled him to keep his force concentrated, and to 
draw supplies from the fleet — that with respect to the armistice concluded 
with General Kellerman, he positively denied that he was the negotiator; 
and although he certainly had signed it, yet he disclaimed all responsibility for 
its honour ; that though he thought it expedient that the French should be 
allowed to evacuate Portugal, with all their baggage and arms, yet to some of 
the minor terms he could not agree, but most of the objections he made were 
overruled by General Sir Hew Dalrymple ; that he was of opinion that the 
Russian fleet should not be included in a trea y with the French ; but that any 
thing done with respect to them should be the subject of a distinct treaty, and 
with themselves, as they had acted a neutral part whilst in the Tagus, & c . 
He also further expressly stated that he was called by Sir Hew, out of another 
room, to sign the treaty, which he read throughout, and after making the 
observation that it was a most extraordinary one, he signed it, but without at 
all feeling himself responsible for its con e tits, and particularly condemning' 
the want of stipulations for the 5,000 Spaniards confined in the hulks on thfc 
Tagus. 



141 

Burrard, to advance from his right with three brigades upon Tor- 
res Vedras, and with the other five brigades to follow the enemy, 
who had been defeated ou our left.* But it further appears that 
the situation of the army at this moment was — on the right, Ma- 
jor General Hill's brigade, which had not been engaged, on 
the height behind Vimiera, and at a distance of about three miles 
from those of Generals Ferguson and Anstmther on the left. In 
front of Vimiera, and in the centre, were the brigades of Anstru- 
ther and Fane, which had been Avarmly engaged. Brigadier Ge- 
neral Bowes's and Ackland's brigades were advanced on the 
heights towards the left, in support of Generals Ferguson and 
Nightingale. B rigadier General Crawford's brigade was detach- 
ed rather to the rear of the left, about half a mile from Major 
General Ferguson, to support the Portuguese troops making front 
in that direction. 

Whilst our army, from the nature of the ground and of the ser- 
vice, was in this scattered direction, it appears further, accord- 
ing to report, that although the enemy was completely repulsed, 
still the degree of expedition with which a pursuit could have 
hten commenced, considering the extended position of the Bri- 
tish army at that time, and the precaution to be taken against the 
superior cavalry of the enemy, must have depended on various 
local circumstances only to be calculated by those on the spot. 

This very circumstance of a superior cavalry retarding ouv 
advance* it was observed, would have allowed the enemy's in- 
fantry, without any degree of risk, to continue their retreat in 
the most rapid manner till they should arrive at any given and 

* Itishere worthy of remark, that Colonel Torrens declared, on his exami- 
nation, that immediately after the defeat of the French right column, and du- 
ring its precipitate retreat, Sir Arthur Wellesley rode up to Sir Harry Burrard, 
and said, " Sir Harry, now is your time to advance upon the enemy ; they are 
completely hroken, and we may he in Lisbon in three days ; a large body of 
our troops have not been in the action; let us move them from the right on 
i he road to Torres Vedras, and I will follow the enemy with the left." TV» 
rliis Sir Harry replied, that he thought a great deal had been done, very much 
i.*\ the credit of the troops, and that he did not think it advisable to do more, 
Or to quit the ground in pursuit. 



advantageous point of rallying and formation ; and it was added 
that Sir Arthur Wellesley iu the affair of Roleia, when the enemy- 
had not half the cavalry as on the day of Vimiera, did not pursue 
a more inconsiderable and beaten army with any marked advan- 
tage. It was also considered that, as the attack on the British 
centre had been repulsed long before that on the left had, the at- 
tacking corps, which was not pursued except by about 150 of the 
20th dragoons, had time^above an hour, to reassemble, and to oc- 
cupy such ground as might afterwards facilitate the retreat of 
their right, and also that the enemy were actually and visibly 
formed in one or more lines, at about three miles in front of our 
centre. 

" From these and other fair military grounds, as allowed by 
Sir Arthur Wellesley ; from those that occurred in Sir Harry 
Burrard's first interview with Sir Arthur Wellesley ; from t!ie 
utmost certainty of the immediate arrival of Sir John Moore's 
corps, which, if they had not stopped at Mondego Bay, would 
have been at Maceira on the 21st, (the day of the battle,) Sir 
Harry Burrard declined making any further pursuit that day, 
or ordering the army to march next morning early." 

It was further stated in the report, that Brigadier General 
Clinton aud Colonel Murray concurred in this opinion ; but it is 
evident Sir Arthur Wellesley did not agree with it, otherwise 
such concurrence would have been recorded. 

Thus far speaks the report with respect to the inactivity of 
the British army, for some time at least, after the victory of Vi- 
miera; then, as to the more important point of the convention, it 
goes on to state that when the proposed treaty (ratified by Ge- 
neral Junot) of the 28th of August was brought by Captain Dal- 
rymple on the 29th to head-quarters, at Ramalhal, all the lieute- 
nant generals (Burrard, Moore, Hope, Frazer, Wellesley) were 
present, Lord Paget excepted, because not long previously sum- 
moned. "The proposed treaty was, however, formally discus- 
sed. Minutes of proposed alterations were taken by Sir Arthur 
Wellesley, as laid before the board, and the commander in chief 
of the forces has no reason to believe that Sir John Moore, or 



143 

any of the lieutenant generals that came with him, expressed any 
disapprobation of the state and terms of the negotiation." 

This silence, however, of Sir Arthur Wellesley on that day 
or his even taking minutes of proposed alterations, in order to 
mend the measure, certainly ought not to be brought forward as 
proofs of his having approved of it. That he might have consi- 
dered it useless then to oppose it is not, indeed, unlikely ; for, as 
matters then stood, it was no doubt the wisest measure to get rid 
of the French army as quick as possible, as long as that could be 
done without disgrace to the British arms : for the battle, the de- 
feat, and the proposed pursuit on the part of Sir Arthur, had 
all taken place on the 21st, whilst this negotiation was only in 
train on the 29th, thus having allowed the French a whole week 
to strengthen themselves in their positions, and perhaps to have 
put it totally out of the power of the British army to dislodge 
them, except by a convention, in a space of time short of three 
months, and that perhaps accompanied with the total destruction 
of the city of Lisbon. 

That Sir Arthur Wellesley did then make no objections is not 
at all extraordinary; and we have, therefore, only to add that» 
" Tiie treaty, with the alterations proposed, were transmitted to 
Lieutenant Colonel Murray. It appears when the treaty, con- 
cluded by Lieutenant Colonel Murray on the 30th, was brought 
by him to Torres Vedras on the 31st for ratification, the lieu- 
tenant generals present were convened, and Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley was sent for. Lord Paget, who was at a distance, did not 
come, nor did Sir Arthur Wellesley, his corps having marched 
that morning. 

The board of inquiry, after what may he called a very full 
statement of the business in question, closed with paying high 
compliments to the various officers for their zeal, firmness, ar- 
dour, gallantry, &c. but it is something remarkable that the most 
important purposes for which they were assembled were not ful- 
filled, at least in the opinion of the commander in chief; for his 
royal highness, in a letter to the president, Sir David Dundas, 
observed that their opinions respecting the conditions of the ar» 



144 

mistice and convention had been altogether omitted ; and that hi 
therefore thought it his duty to call their attention to these two 
principal points in this important case, and to desire that they would 
take the same again into their most serious consideration, and sub- 
join it to the opinion they had already given on the other points, 
whether, under all the circumstances that appeared in evidence 
before them, respecting the relative situation of the two armies, 
on the 23d of August, it was their opinion that an armistice was ad- 
visable ; aud, if so, whether the terms were such as ought to have 
been agreed upon. The commauderin chief also required them to 
consider whether it was proper to enter upon a convention, subse- 
quent to the armistice, and after all the British forces were landed. 
In consequence of this the board met again. The questions 
>vere put to each of the members ; some of whom approved the mea- 
sures, whilst others disapproved of them, each party giving their 
reasous for their opiuions; and this difference was at length 
finally settled by a formal declaration of disapprobation on the 
part of the king, of both the armistice and convention, which, 
with reasons for it, was formally conveyed to Sir Hew Dal- 
rymple.* 

* During the public clamour on those events, the general indignation was 
much directed against the ministry, by the extraordinary circumstance of no 
less than three commanders in chief having been -with the British army du- 
ring the space of three days, a circumstance stated to have arisen from in- 
decision on the part of government. But the state of the fact is extremely 
simple. Sir Hew Dalryniple, the Governor of Gibraltar, was, from the first, 
intendedfor the chief command ; but as the troops could only be sentoutfroni 
different ports, and at different times, each commanding officer of each de- 
tachment would naturally take the command according to his seniority. It 
was not, therefore, intended that any officer should finally command in chief, 
except Sir Hew; but it xrrfa both an unlucky, and a remarkable coincidence of 
circumstances that the arrival of those officers in a succession of seniority 

ibould have taken place at a moment so critical for British honour, and for 

''..T^-uese security. 



14a 



SECTION VI. 

State of Spain at the close of 1808 and commencement of 1809 — Supreme 
Central Junta formed — Duplicity of Bonaparte — Military operations of the 
French army — Surrender of Madrid to the French — Sir John Moore takes 
the command of the British army — Commencement of the British opera 
tions — March into Spain — Political and military operations — Various mill 
tary anecdotes— Advance into Spain — Want of Spanish co-operation — lit- 
treat determined on — Manoeuvres of Bonaparte— Frustrated by Sir John 
Moore — Distresses of the army — Battle of Corunna— Fall, and anecdotes of 
Sir John Moore — Sir Arthur Wellesley — Conduct in parliament — Treaty 
with Spain — Sir Arthur supersedes Sir John Craddock in the command in 
the Peninsula — March towards the Douro— Passage of the Uouro, and re- 
capture of Oporto— Pursuit of the French — Its consequences— Junction of 
the allied armies — March towards Talavera— Battle of Talavera — Its con- 
sequences—Subsequent retreat— General view of occurrences in Spain— Sir 
Arthur Wellesley elevated to the peerage as Viscount WtLLiNCTOif 
— Close of the year 1809. 

WHILE the army of France lay inactive on the Ebro and 
the passes into the mountainous province of Biscay, and Avhilsl 
Napoleon was engaged in his Russian and German campaigus, 
the provincial juntas in Spain had. leisure to resolve themselves, 
during part of 1808, into one grand, supreme central junta. 

Their intentions, as expressed in a proclamation, were to ratify 
the laws of religion, to restore or to avenge the monarchy, to re- 
establish the fundamental laws of the kingdom upon a basis con- 
sonant with civil liberty, to draw more closely the ties connecting- 
them with their colonies by a liberal policy; and, in short, to 
stimulate and reward activity, industry, talents, and virtue, in all 
ranks of life. 

Being now acknowledged by all the regularly constituted au- 
thorities, they proceeded to form the various branches of admi- 
nistration; to establish a system of finance; to confiscate the 
estates of traitors, and to collect the old established taxes, but 
without layiDg any additional burdens upon the people : and the 
army of Dupont having about this time surrendered, they ar- 
ranged every thing respecting it, and endeavoured, as much as 
was in their power, to furnish means for the British army to pro- 
10 



146 

eeed into Spain after the convention ^Hii'a, and the freeing of 
Portugal from a foreign force. 

At this period the whole Spanish force, including the liberated 
army of Romana, and those who had been set free in the Tagus, 
was divided iuto three separate commands, but about the latter 
end of October, disposed so as to form one grand army. The 
eastern wing, amounting to about 20,000, was under the com- 
mand of General Joseph Palafox ; the northwestern, under the 
command of General Blake, amounted to 55,000; and the centre* 
under General Castanos, consisted of 65,000 men. Besides these, 
there was a small army in Catalonia, and another in Estremadura; 
and the whole was under the supreme command of Castanos; to 
which must be added the force under Sir John Moore, now ready 
to march from Lisbon, and the troops expected under Sir David 
Baird, &c. 

AVith respect to the French army in Spain, th*ir positions had 
been but little altered from those of the summer. Their right 
was to the ocean, the left on Arragon, and the front towards the 
Ebro, strengthened lately by reinforcements from France, and 
particularly by 160,000 conscripts, hastily collected by Bona- 
parte; who, having made his arrangements at home, quitted Paris 
for Spain, leaving the British ambassador to dispute about a basis 
for peace, whilst he himself was hotly pursuing his new war. He 
proceeded rapidly for Bayonne ; and, on the 3d of Novembex-, 
with a reinforcement of 12,000 men, joined his brother Joseph at 
Vittoria. 

The plan of the Spaniards at this precise moment was, with the 
right and left wings of their grand army to turn the flanks of the 
French force, whilst Castanos should make a vigorous attack 
upon, and break through, their centre. This seemingly judicious 
design was accordingly acted upon; and Castanos, with the 
central army, crossed the Ebro at three different points, the 
French only making a show of resistance ; nor did they prevent 
him from pushing forward detachments, and taking possession of 
Lerin, Viana, Capporoso, and others of their own posts, on the 
left bank, or north side of the Ebro. He was even allowed t© 



14? 

advance to Pampelunl^ljjlst the French only manoeuvred so 
as to hide their own intentions. In fact, in pursuauce of this 
deep laid design, Marshal Moncey had orders to advance with 
the left wing of the French army along the banks of that river, 
not to opppse the passage, but, by presenting a weak front, to de- 
coy Castanos to cross it ; nor did the stratagem fail of success, 
(though it is possible Castanos would have crossed without it,) 
for it threw Castanos off his guard, when Marshal Ney, with his 
division, passing the line of the Ebro, and dashing forward with 
great celerity, in separate columns, took the Spanish posts of 
Legrono and Calahorra, threw the whole country into alarm and 
confusion, and cut off the communication between the two armies 
of Blake and Castanos. 

The first operations of the French were now directed against 
Blake's army, which was successively driven from post to post 
during the latter end of October and the beginning of November 
as far as Espinosa, where, having taken up a strong position, this, 
the Gallician army, was forced to make a stand in order to save 
its magazines and artillery, but in vain ; for, after a brave re- 
sistance of two days, they were obliged to retreat with preci- 
pitation. 

During this cunflicl at Espiuusa, a detachment was sent against 
the last retreat of the Gallician army, Keynosa, where a con- 
siderable force was established. At break of day on the 11th 
of November they were suddenly attacked on their right, 
left, and centre. They were forced to consult their safety by 
flight; throwing aM r ay their arms and colours, and abandoning 
their artillery. After this unfortunate business, General Blake, 
with the remains of his broken army, took refuge in Asturias, 
whilst what remained of the corps of Romana, which had formed 
a part of this Gallician army, fled into, the northern parts of that 
province. The Spaniards, however, were so closely pursued by 
Marshal Soult, that the van of the army entered St. Andero on 
the 16th of November, forcing the bishop of that place to take 
refuge on board an English frigate. Before the 23d of Novem- 
ber the French had routed and dispersed the armies of the 



148 

aorth of Spain, aud also that of Esti#flBuira, under the com- 
mand of the young Count of Belvidere, who, having been insi- 
diously permitted to proceed as far as Burgos, and to occupy it 
with his army, was then attacked by superior numbers, his army 
routed after a gallant resistance of twelve hours, and almost anni- 
hilated; he himself, with the small remains, flying to Lerma, and 
from thence to A ran da. 

The invaders, thus at liberty, directed their whole force 
against Castanos; and, on the 23d of November, bringing him 
to action at Tudela, gave him a signal defeat, thereby opening 
the road to Madrid ; on which route, on the 29th of November, 
a force under the commaud of General Victor took possession 
of a most difficult pass in the Sierra Morena, called the Puerto, 
though remarkably well fortified, and defended by 13,000 Spa- 
niards. 

On the 1st of December advanced parties of the French 
appeared before Madrid, at which period the inhabitants were 
busily employed in raising pallisades, aud constructing re- 
doubts, expressing a determined spirit of resistance. The Freuch 
were beaten back twice ; but, on the third attempt, they suc- 
ceeded in getting possession of the gate of Alcala, and also of 
the Retiro, the reductlou of which place, however, cost them 
very dear, their loss amouuting to upwards of 1,000 killed and 
wounded. The supreme junta then hoisted a white flag as a 
token of submission ; but the people pulled it down, and persisted 
in their intention of defending the city : unfortunately, however, 
for want of leaders, their spirit of enthusiasm began to evapo- 
rate ; and when they found that the French were fortifying 
themselves in the Retiro, which completely commands Madrid, 
they began to retire to their respective houses. 

On the 4th, the city was given up. 

Such was the state of affairs in Spain, previous to the events 
connected with Sir John Moore's army, which we shall now 
briefly trace. 

To illustrate the liberal and patriotic spirit of this gallant 
general, it is sufficient to say that on his arrival in Portugal, 



149 

wirch took place after flfite battle of Vimiera, he was warm in his 
praises of Sir Arthur Wellesley, and absolutely declared to Sir 
Hew Dalrymple, that he wished to waive all pretensions derived 
from his seniority ; and that as Sir Arthur had done so much, it 
was fair he should take the lead in the operations against Lis- 
bon, and if the good of the service required it, he would exe- 
cute any part that was allotted to him, without interfering with 
Sir Arthur's orders. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley having applied for leave of absence to 
return to Eugland, after the convention, and Sir Hew Dalrym- 
ple being recalled, the command devolved on Sir Harry Bur- 
rard, who very soon requested to resign ; when the ministry at 
home judged it best to invest Sir John with the command ; and 
on the 6th of October, 1808, he received despatches from Lon- 
don with this appointment. Previous to this, it had been in- 
tended to send a British force into Gallicia ; but the transports 
being employed in carrying Junot's army to France, means had 
been wanting. Now, however, the plan was resumed : Sir John 
Moore had orders to send the cavalry by land, and a discretion- 
ary power to send the infautry and artillery by such mode of 
conveyance as was most rapid and practicable. 

At the same time he was informed that 15,000 men, under 
General Sir David Baird, were to join him from Corunna. 

Finding, ou ioquiry, that the march of the expected force 
under Sir David Baird would fully occupy all military means 
at Corunna, Sir John gave up all thoughts of sending any part 
of his force by sea; and the Spanish government having deputed 
Colonel Lopez, an officer in their service, and one well acquaint- 
ed with the country, with its roads and resources, to assist the 
British army on its march, to establish magazines, and to make 
all the necessary arrangements with Sir John Moore, he not only 
confirmed the intelligence respecting Corunna, but also pressed 
Sir John, in the name of the Junta, to march by land ; assuring 
him that if he went by sea, one half of the army would never 
be able to proceed from Corunna, through want of necessaries. 

The difficulties Sir John met with, even in the outset, were 



150 

great in tbe extreme. He found the Portuguese entirely ig-io- 
rant of the state of the roads even in their ow\ country, though 
they all agreed that it was impossible to transport artillery over 
the mountains which form the northern boundary of Portugal; 
intelligence confirmed by British officers who had been sent on 
a tour of inspection : so that as equipments could not be pro- 
cured at Corunna, nor food on the road by Elvas, nor artillery 
conveyed by Almeida, he was absolutely forced to divide his 
army, part of the artillery uoing with the cavalry through 
Spain, the remainder of the three divisions proceeding by dif- 
ferent routes through Portugal. The different regiments of each 
division followed each other in succession to facilitate the 
march; Sir John intending that the whole of the troops coming 
from Portugal should unite at Salamanca, and that Sir David 
Baird and General Hope should either join there or at Valla- 
dolid : and the several divisions being moved off, Sir John Moore 
left Lisbon on the 27th of October, just as the grand Spanish 
armies, as already observed, were commencing their plan of 
operations against the French army north of the Ebro. 

In passing through the Portuguese territory, the troops be- 
haved with such order and regularity as to foum a striking con- 
trast to the cruelty and rapine of the French armies. The 
people in consequence Avere civil, but still there were considera- 
ble difficulties in finding a sufficient supply of provisions for such 
an army. There was also a great want of money, producing 
many inconveniences; for it had been erroneously supposed 
that government bills would have been accepted ; and at Guada, 
even the chief magistrates refused to procure provisions without 
regular payments, whilst the peasantry, as indeed might naturally 
be expected, refused any dealings with paper money : and it is 
stated that although Sir John Moore was usually entertained 
with politeness at the houses of the nobility, and saw little ap- 
pearance of a French party, yet he was surprised to observe the 
slight interest which the Portuguese took in public affairs; 
they were indeed in general well inclined, but very lukewarm. 

It is no doubt, then, that the Spaniards at this moment had 
3 



161 

perhaps too great confidence in their own strength, and judged 
too hastily of the possible powers and exertions of their ene- 
mies ; but it is stated that the correspondence which Sir John 
JMoore held with men of candour and discernment, and who 
resided upon the scene of action, tended to confirm him more 
and more in his conviction, that little or nothing was to be ex- 
pected from the exertions of the Spaniards themselves. He ap- 
pears, indeed, to have advanced in direct opposition to his own 
judgment ; but it may still be a question, whether his final want 
of success in his advance may not in some degree have pro- 
ceeded from his own despondency, which is so strongly marked 
in many 01 his letters, and Which, particularly in his subsequent 
retreat, may have produced those effects which his known gal- 
lantry and undaunted spirit would otherwise have prevented. 

The difficulties of the march still increased; and, notwith- 
standing the situation of affairs, it appeared impossible tocorrect 
the dilatoriuess of the Spanish administration ; so that when Sir 
David Baird arrived at Corunna, on the 13th of October, the 
Galliciau Junta actually refused permission for the landing of 
the troops ! The astonishment of Sir David at this extraordi- 
nary circumstance may easily be conceived ; he had, however, 
no alternative, but to send off expresses to Madrid and Lisbon; 
though he at last obtained leave to disembark, but with such a 
cold reception, and such a total absence of all exertion in pre- 
paring his equipments, that he actually w£ote to Sir John Moore 
to inquire whether the Supreme Junta had yet given permission 
for British troops to be admitted into Spaiu. 

In the early part of November Sir John Moore, by rapid 
marches, had reached Atalaia : in fact, he found greater facilities 
than he had expected; for, though the roads were certainly very 
bad, still were they practicable for artillery ; though such was 
the extreme ignorance of the Portuguese, that instead of pro- 
curing any of them for guides, British officers were obliged, 
from station to station, to reconnoitre, and actually to trace out 
the route. The previous misinformation was also the more to be 
regretted ; as otherwise. General Hope's division might very 



isa 

well have been brought by this route along with the rest of the 
army. 

The troops now readied Almeida by the 8th of November; 
and though it rained incessantly, they marched on cheerfully in 
spite of the weather, and behaved extremely well, notwithstand- 
ing the inhospitality of the country they were marching through. 
The appearance of the country, however, and the manners of 
the people, improved greatly on first crossing the boundary line 
between Portugal and Spain ; for the advantage was greatly in 
favour of the latter; particularly at Ciudad Rodrigo, where the 
army was received with shouts of " Viva los Ingleses !" 

On the 13th of November Sir John Moore arrived with the 
advanced guard of his army at Salamanca ; and there he halted, 
intending to assemble all the troops coming from Portugal, before 
he should push further into Spain; a plan more particularly ne- 
cessary, as he had just then got intelligence of the fate of the 
army of Estremadura, already mentioned. 

Sir John had only been two days at Salamanca when he was 
informed by an express from the governor of the province, Ge- 
neral Pignatelli, that the French army had advanced and taken 
possession of Valladolid, which is only twenty leagues from Sa- 
lamanca. At this period, Sir John was only with his advanced 
corps, in an open town, three marches from the French army, 
Avithout even a Spanish piquet to cover his front, although he 
had been promised that his march into Spain should be covered 
by a force of sixty or seventy thousand men ; and his own force 
consisted of only three brigades of infantry, without a single gun, 
as the remainder were moving up in succession, but could not be 
expected under less than ten days. 

Decisive measures were instantly necessary ; for if the French 
advanced in force, he had no option but to fall back on Ciudad 
Rodrigo; the country in which vicinity being very poor, 
could not long afford subsistence for the troops ; and if he 
should even retreat into Portugal, his situation would scarcely 
be improved. 

He, therefore, assembled the Junta of Salamanca, and ex- 



153 

plained to them the situation of affairs, calling oa them to make 
such sacrifices as the occasion required, and stating the necessity 
of his having carts and mules, should it be necessary to retire. 
All this was listened to with calm acquiescence, and the whole 
party seemed to hear of the generous intentions of the British, 
and of the destructive ravages of the French, with equal iudii 
fereuce. He, therefore, found himself forced to depend on his own 
resources, and sent orders to Generals Baird and Hope to con- 
centrate their divisions, to advance with all speed to Salamanca 
but to be on their guard upon their march. 

At this crisis Mr. Frere had arrived as minister plenipoten- 
tiary from Great Britain, and Mr. Moore laments that he unfor- 
tunately had acquired all his notions ot Spanish patriotism and 
politics in Londou, and that his prepossessions were much too 
strong to be effaced by. the observations of his predecessors, or 
even to be altered by the most opposing facts. It must, however, 
be observed, that if Mr. Frere was too sanguine iu his hopes* 
there were many others who were too despondent in an observa- 
tion fully justified by subsequent events, and which may be con- 
sidered as iu some measure illustrated by a letter of Mr. F re re's 
of the 13th of November, to Sir John Moore, in which he says, 
" the fixed spirit of resistance, which, without calculation of 
danger or of means, seems to have rooted itself in the minds of 
the people, appears superior to any reverse ;" thus fully exem- 
plifying what in some measure may be applied to their subse- 
quent conduct.* 
Sir David Baird did not reach Astorga until the 19th of Govern - 

* A curious circumstance mentioned in Sir John Moore's own journal, and 
highly illustrative of the honour and integrity of the Spanish character, de- 
ser\es notice here. 

" Lord Proby was at Tordesillas reconnoitring, when a patrole of French 
•avalry came into the town. They stayed some time. Every man in the 
town knew that Proby was there, for he had been two days among them ; 
yet not a man betrayed him ; and when the cavalry left the place, and his 
lordship came into the street, they all testified their satisfaction, and declared 
that, though they had no arms, they would have died rather than have 
allowed him to be taken. 

20 



154 

t 
ber, and then only with part of his infantry, having had t« 

necounter many deficiencies, and to struggle with difficulties 
entirely new to him, meeting with a variety of obstacles in his 
progress, and receiving but little aid from the Spaniards in over- 
coming them. From Astorga Sir David thought it imprudent 
to advance; and, in an official letter, he said, " We have no kind 
of support to expect from the Spaniards, who are completely dis- 
persed and driven from the field; and if I were to move forward 
the infantry I have at present here, I should necessarily expose 
myself to be beaten in detail, without a chance of being able to 
oppose any effectual resistance." 

Lieutenant General Hope, who had proceeded by the Elvas 
road, had already done wonders; for, notwithstanding his toil- 
some march, he, by indefatigable exertions, and good arrange- 
ments, had provided for the subsistence of the corps under his 
command, and had brought them into the vicinity of Madrid. Yet, 
upon the whole, the situation of affairs in Spain was becoming 
evidently more and more critical ; and every accouut sent to Sir 
John Moore, by thofe whom he considered as men of sound 
judgment, was fdled with statements of the Spanish government 
having most unwisely concealed their desperate situation from 
their ally. 

The defeat of Castanos's army we have already mentioned; 
the intelligence of which arrived at Salamanca on the 28th of 
November, and totally darkened the aspect of affairs. Whilst 
this army remained, there still appeared to Sir John Moore a 
hope of resistance in the north of Spain; but now he gave up 
all expectations of it, considering it evident that if Bonaparte 
chose, as might be expected, to push forward his advanced corps 
upon him, his junction with General Hope would be very doubt- 
ful, and that with Sir David Baird impossible. 

For these reasons, he at once took the resolution of withdraw- 
ing the army from Gallkia and Leon, and of assembling it upon 
the banks of the Tagus ; the proposed advantages of which 
measures were, that the whole British force would be collected, 



155 

and united with upwards of 10,000 men more, who were left in 
Portugal. 

In the mean time he thought it possible that all the scattered 
corps of the Spanish army might fall back and concentrate, and 
there receive such new levies as might be raised in the southern 
provinces ; which, when assembled, might stiil form an army ca- 
pable of making a stand, and to whose aid the British might then 
move forward iu a formidable body. He considered, that if the 
Spaniards had constancy to hold out, and fortitude to continue 
the contest, an opportunity would still be afforded them ; for in 
the south all their energies might be put forth, and effectual 
assistance afforded them by the British army; or should their 
armies even be repelled in these efforts, still secure retreats were 
afforded them in the protection of Cadiz and Gibraltar. Indeed, 
it appears from all his correspondence that it had always been a 
favourite plan of Sir John Moore to commence and carry on the 
military operations from the south of Spain. 

Sir John now took the resolution of retreating without waiting 
for any further communications from the British ambassador, 
and the fate of Castanos convinced him that the situation of hie 
army admitted of no delay. 

He then assembled the general officers, and showed them the 
intelligence he had received, and the plan he had adopted. He told 
them " that he had not called them together to request their 
counsel, or to induce them to commit themselves by giving any 
opinion upon the subject. He took the responsibility entirely 
upon himself; and he only required that they would immediately 
prepare for carrying it into effect." 

It was at this period that the insidious conduct of Morla, in at- 
tempting to persuade Sir John Moore to advance to Madrid whilst 
he himself was in treaty with the enemy, took place ; and such 
was the art of the traitor that he evidently was successful in 
some measure, even in imposing on Mr. Frere, our ambassador, 
though on the spot, or nearly so, being then at Talavera, after- 
wards rendered so famous by the British arms. So much so, in- 
deed, that Mr. Frere sent a very pressing letter by Colonel Char- 



156 

miily, an emigrant officer in our service, who had just left Ma- 
drid, and whose verbal representations to Sir John Moore were 
so highly desciiptive of the spirit of the inhabitants of that capi- 
ta!, that, on the 5th of December, he actually was convinced 
that a great and unexpected improvement in the public affairs 
had taken place; and he, therefore, judged that he ought not to 
pursue his plan of retreat, and immediately abandoned his inten- 
tion, resolving to support Madrid to the utmost of his power. 
He, therefore, wrote to Sir David Baiud to return bag and bag- 
gage to Astorga, he having already commeuced his preconcerted 
retreat ; and at this moment General Hope, by means of rapid 
marche's, had brought his division close to Salamanca. The po- 
sition of the British army had, by this means, become much more 
fcecure ; for Sir John had now a complete though small corps, 
with cavalry and artillery ; whilst, by a movement to the left, 
his junction with Sir David Baird was certain. 

Being desirous of obtaining the cooperation of the only Spa- 
nish corps within reach, he wrote immediately to the Marquis of 
Bomana, who was at Leon, expressing his wish to unite with 
him, and to take such, operations as they might judge best for the 
support of Madrid, and the defeat of the enemy. 

But the knowledge of the absolute submission of the capital 
now completely deranged the proposed plan of operations, and 
jretreat from Salamanca was again determined on, particularly as 
there was reason to believe that the effective French force then 
in Spain actually amounted to 177,000 men, whilst the whole 
British force was no more than 18,416 who had marched from 
Portugal, and 9,550 who had followed Sir David Baird from 
Corunna, making in the whole 25,631 iufantry and 2,450 cavalry ; 
their artillery, indeed, was numerous, but of a very small cali- 
bre; for, including a brigade of three pounders, it amounted to 
fifty guns. 

Sir John Moore, now joured by General Hope's division, was 
anxious to unite with Sir David Baird, and to endeavour to pro- 
secute the war in the north of Spain, instead of retiring upon the 

Tagus. 

3 



15T 

la this crisis, his brother says, and we are disposed to give him 
full credit, that Sir Joha knew that the passes of Sonoosierra and 
Guadarama were possessed by the French, and that an attempt 
to force them would be destructive; yet if he continued where 
he was, or only guarded the frontiers of Gallicia, every thing valu- 
able in Spain would be quickly subdued. The first of these, 
therefore, he rejected as rash, atid the other as futile ; but he form- 
ed and executed a plan for stopping the progress of the French, 
and relieving Spain, which has been highly admired by masters 
in the art of war. " This will be gradually developed." Bui as 
he found that the Spanish generals who had been deputed to him 
were quite incapable of discussing a plan, or giving him any ad- 
vice, he thought it imprudent to confide his intentions to them. 
He considered it most advisable to trust no one with his designs, 
except the government, and the generals commanding armies, who 
were to cooperate with him. 

Yet one of those " incapable" generals wrote to him on the 
7th of December to say, " For if, instead of uniting the two 
divisions of your army with the army of the Marquis of itomaua 
at Zamora, or some other point that may impose upon the enemy, 
you persist in putting your design in execution, you will im- 
mediately occasion the destruction of Spain, and perhaps your 
excellency will be tinder the necessity of embarking for En- 
gland." 

That Sir John Moore, however, did intend to connect himself 
with the Marquis of Romaua, is evident from his letter to that 
officer, as well as from his subsequent instructions to Sir David 
Baird. In the morning of the 8th Sir John Moore received in- 
telligence from the gallant Colonel (now Sir Thomas) Graham, 
that the enemy had got possession of the capital, but that the junta 
concealed the event as much as possible, completely softening 
down the principal fact, and making it appear that Madrid had. 
instead of surrendering, only entered into a kiod of armistice 
wilh the enemy. This Sir John neither absolutely believed, 
*or did he totally discredit it, but again considered himself com- 



158 

pelled to make every effort ia his power for the relief of the 
capital, and accordingly advanced from Salamauca. The move- 
ment was made from the left flank by brigades, towards the 
Douro. The reserve and General Beresford's brigades were 
marched to Toro, tb p re to unite with the cavalry under Lord 
Paget, Avhilst Sir John Moore moved with the remaining divi- 
sions towards Tordesillas. Sir David Baird was directed to 
push on his brigades to Benavente ; and, the whole being united, 
it was proposed to proceed to Valladolid, with the view of 
threatening the communication between Madrid and the French 
territory. 

Even on the 1 2th of December, Sir John was still ignorant 
of the absolute submission of Madrid, and had hopes that his 
movements might be of use towards the saving of that city : and 
on the very same day Brigadier General Stewart, whilst moving 
from Arevolo with the 18th and German dragoons, having got 
information that a party of French cavalry and infantry had got 
possession of a village called Rueda, he attacked it in the night 
by surprise, with a party of the 18th light dragoons, and killed 
or took prisoners almost the whole of the detachment. This was 
the first encounter of the French and British in Spain; and the 
march of the British had been so well concealed that the French 
were astonished to find that there were any English troops there ; 
the prisoners declaring that it was universally believed they had 
retreated. 

The intelligence soon after received, though unfavourable as 
to Madrid, still afforded some consolation to Sir John, in find- 
ing that Bonaparte believed he was retreating ; but as it was evi- 
dent that Soult's corps was much stronger than had been repre- 
sented, he considered it no longer advisable to march to Valla- 
dolid, lest Sir David Baird should be attacked in forming his 
junction, but thought it preferable to move to Toro, thus com- 
mencing that retreat which afterwards ended so unfortunately for 
the general cause, though certainly without diminishing the 
Histre of the British arms. 



159 

Sir John Moore, however, still had hopes of being able to 
meet with Soult in his march towards Sir David Baird, and that, 
if possible, before he could receive any reinforcements, and be- 
fore any French corps should be pushed forward on his right 
flank to endanger his retreat. 

To pursue Sir John through the whole detail of his manoeu- 
vres is not exactly part of our plan ; it is sufficient to say, that in 
his further advance, he was checked by the retreat of Romana, 
and by the little chance of any further Spanish cooperation, 
although his own force amounted to 23,000 infantry, and up- 
wards of 2,000 cavalry. 

Romana's force was, however, at length brought so forward as 
to induce Sir John to direct a movement on their part in the lat- 
ter end of December, whilst he should make a proposed attack 
on the enemy ; Soult having his force of 18,000 men concentra- 
ted behind the river Carrion, and the head columns of Juuot's 
corps being between Vittoria and Burgos. But an influx of in- 
telligence soon convinced Sir John that the French reinforce- 
ments were advancing rapidly, and that Bonaparte was fully pre* 
pared : accordingly the forward march of the troops was instantly 
countermanded. Sir John, therefore, preparing for the danger, 
calculated the time ; but, to frustrate the p!an, was forced to con- 
tinue his retreat, which he was silently, but busily, occupied iu 
preparing for on the 24th of December, when the whole disposa- 
ble force of the French army, forming an irregular crescent, 
was marchiug with rapid steps to surround his army. To ac- 
complish this favourite object, says Sir John's brother, Bona- 
parte stopt his victorious career in the south, where there was 
nothing capable of resisting him. Lisbon and Cadiz would hav<- 
yielded as easily as Madrid, and those must be sanguine indeed, 
who can believe that any further resistance would have been 
made in Spain. He then proceeds to observe, that the bold 
measures adopted by Sir John Moore arrested the immediate sub- 
jugation of the country ; for though he had intelligence sufficient 
to induce him to retiie. still he had not learned the whole amount, 
of the force that Avas matching against him. and was resolved ndjt 



16t* 

lo be alarmed into a false step, nor retreat one step further than 
was absolutely necessary, as lie wished to defend the Gallicias, 
if possible. 

Several skirmishes took place during the early part of the 
retreat, and on the 27th the rear guard crossed the Eslar, and 
blew up the bridge. 

The retreat seemed now a determined measure; but Ave shall 
waive all observations on it, only observing, that whenever the 
British army stopped, or whenever there was a slight affair of 
detachments, their conduct was always highly meritorious, though 
it appears from Sir John Moore's general orders, that there were 
some individual cases which required notice.* 

When Bonaparte had assembled his whole army at Astorga, 
to the amount of 70,000 men, and perceived, by the masterly 
arrangements of Sir John Moore, that it was no longer possible 
to intercept him, he desisted from his personal pursuit, and con- 
tented himself with detaching three marshals, with as many di- 
visions, to follow the British closely, and to destroy them either 
before, or during their embarkation at Corunna, to which place 
Sir John Moore judged it most prudent to proceed. It is an un- 
pleasant task to enter much further into this unfortunate series of 

* During this retreat a gallant achievement of a small pasty of cavalry de- 
serves particular notice. It appears, that the British in their retreat over a 
river had blown up the bridge ; but the French cavalry discovered a ford 
above it, where they crossed. They then formed, and were nearly double 
the number that could be brought against them. Our brave countrymen 
rejoiced at the sight, and forgot the disparity of numbers. They advanced 
smartly upon the enemy, who stood to receive them; and at a short distance 
fired upon the British. G. nebal Stewart, who commanded, then ad- 
vanced beyond his line, and gave the words " Draw!" — " Charge!" The 
British rushed on ; the French received them firmly; and for a quarter of an 
hour the clash of sabres rung like a peal of bells General Stewart was op- 
posed to General Le Ft bvre, whom he made prisoner. Several 
other French officers also were taken, and a great many men fell on both 
sides. The proud imperial guard (the officers of which declared they had 
never before been beaten) gave way before an inferior number of British 
dragoons, and retreated across the ford. A t this moment, three cannon were 
brought to bear upon them, and the broad river was discoloured with bloods 



161 

halting and retreating, particularly as it has been so accurately 
detailed in Mr. Moore's narrative of the campaign. In fact, in 
the early part of January, 1 309, the enemy pressed on so hard 
that the rear guard was almost always engaged; and in such cir- 
cumstances it was impossible to suffer any thing to retard the 
march of the columns; of course, whatever could not keep up 
was destroyed. We are sorry to say that Sir John Moore's 
general orders bespeak a system of insubordination which we 
scarcely thought possible in a British army under any circum- 
stances ; but we forbear all comment ; nor will we disturb the 
ashes of the gallant dead. 

From day to day the same sufferings and the same circum- 
stances occurred, until the arrival of the army before Corunna, 
after traversing 250 miles of country, through mountains, defiles, 
and rivers, and constantly iu contact with a superior pursuing- 
enemy: but, though often engaged, even their rear guard was 
never beaten, nor thrown into confusion, but was victorious iu 
every encounter. 

Every thing was now prepared for embarkation from Corunna 
in preference to Vigo ; but it was soon discovered that the 
French army woidd not permit it to take place without an at- 
tack, in hopes of fulfilling their boast of driving the English into 
the sea. 

About one in the afternoon of the 16th of January, the ene- 
my, who had on the morning received reinforcements, and who 
had placed some guns in front of the right and left of his line, 
was observed to be moving troops towards his left flank, and 
forming various columns of attack at that extremity of the 
strong and commanding position., which, on the morning of th<" 
16th, he had taken in the immediate front of the British army. 

This indication of his intention was immediately succeeded 
by a rapid and determined attack upon Sir David Baird's divi 
sion, which occupied the right of the British. This first effort 
of the enemy was met by Sir John Moore, and by Sir David 
Baird, at the head of the 42d regiment, and the brigade under 
Major General Lord William Beutinck. 
21 



162 

The village on the right now became an object of most obsti- 
nate contest; Sir David Baird here received a severe wound, 
which deprived the army of his services ; and soon after Lieu- 
tenant General Sir John Moore, who had just directed the most 
able disposition, fell by a cannon shot. 

The troops, though not unacquainted with the irreparable loss 
they had just sustained v were not dismayed; but, by the most 
determined bravery, not only repelled every attempt of the ene- 
my to gain ground, but actually forced him to retire, although he 
had brought up fresh troops in support of those actually en- 
gaged. 

The enemy finding himself foiled in every attempt to force the; 
right of the British position, endeavoured, by superior numbers, 
to turn it ; but a judicious and well timed movement, which wae 
made by Major General Paget with the reserve, which corps 
had moved out of its cantonments to support the right of the 
army, accompanied by a vigorous attack, defeated this intention. 
The major general, hwing pushedforward a rifle corps, the 95th f 
and the first battalion of the 52d regiment, drove the enemy be- 
fore him; and, in his rapid and judicious advance, threatened 
the left of his position ; which circumstance, with the position 
of Lieutenant General Frazer's division, (calculated to give still 
further security to the right of the line,) induced the enemy to 
relax his efforts in that quarter. 

These efforts, however, were but the more forcibly directed 
towards the centre ; where they were again successfully resisted 
by the brigade under Major General Manningham, forming the 
left of Sir David Baird's division, and a part of that undci 
Major General Leith, forming the right of the division under 
Lieutenant General Hope. 

Upon the left, the enemy at first contented himself with an at- 
tack upon the British piquets, which, however, in general, main- 
tained their ground. Finding his efforts thus unavailing upon 
the right and centre, he uow seemed determined to make the at- 
tack upon the left more serious, and had succeeded io gaining 
possession of a village through which the great road to Madrid 



163 

passes, and which was situated in front of that part of the 
line. 

From this post, however, he was soon expelled, with consi- 
derable loss, by a gallant attack of some companies of the 2d 
battalion of the 14th, uider Lieutenant Colonel Nichols; so that, 
before five in the evening, the British had uot oniy successfully 
repelled every attack made upon that position, bui had gained 
ground in almost all points, and had occupied a more forward 
line than at the commencement of the action, whilst the enemy 
confined his operations to a cannonade, and '.he file of his light 
troops, with a view to draw off his other corps. At six the 
firing entirely ceased. The different brigades were reassem- 
bled on the ground they occupied in the morning, and the piquets 
and advanced posts resumed their original station?. 

Notwithstanding the decided and marked superiority which at 
this moment the gallantry of the troops had given them over the 
enemy, who, from his numbers and the commanding advantages 
of his position, no doubt expected an easy victory, General Hope, 
on reviewing all circumstances, did not conceive that he should 
be warranted in departing from what he knew was the fixed 
and previous determination of the late gallant commander in 
chief, to withdraw the army in the evening of the 16th for em- 
barkation, the previous arrangements for which had already been 
made by his orders, and even, in fact, far advanced at the com- 
mencement of the action.* 

* The personal exertions of the gallant Moore himself deserve due notice. 
The French artillery plunged from the heights, and the two hostile lines 
ef infantry mutually advanced beneath a shower of balls, jet for some time 
they were still separated from each other by stone walls and hedges, which 
intersected the ground. As they closed, it * as perceived that the French 
line extended beyond the right flank of the British ; and a body of the enemy 
were observed moving up the valley to turn it. A n order was instantly given, 
and the half of the 4th regiment, which formed this flank, fell back, refusing 
their right, and making an obtuse angle with the other half. In this position 
they commenced a heavy flanking fire; and Sir John Moore, watching the 
,-nanceuvre, called out to them, that was exactly wlat he wanted to be done. 

He then rode up to the 50th regiment, commanded by Majors Napier and 



164 

Orders were, therefore, given for the troops to quit their posi^ 
<uon about teu at night, which was done with a degree of order 
much to their credit. The whole of the artillery that remained 
unembarked having been withdrawn, the troops followed in the 

Stanhope, who got over an enclosure in their front, and charged most gallant- 
ly. The general, ever an admirer of valour, exclaimed, " Well done the 
fiftieth ! well done my majors !" — using this expression in allusion to his having 
recommended them both to the rank they held, entertaining in particular a 
sincere friendship for the honourable Major Stanhope, second son of Karl 
Stanhope, and nephew to the late Mr. Pitt This gallant regiment, so 
bravely led, soon drove the enemy out of the village of Flvina, with great 
slaughter; but in the conflict Major Napier, advancing too far, was 
wounded and taken prisoner, and Major Stanhope unfortunately received a 
mortal wound. 

Sir John now proceeded to the 4fd, addressing them in these words : 
ee Highlanders, remember Egypt!" — They rushed on, driving the French be- 
fore them till they were stopped by a wall. Sir John accompanied them in the 
charge, and told the soldiers that he was well pleased with their conduct- He 
then sent Captain Ilardinge to order up a battalion of guards to the left flank 
cf the Highlanders ; upon which the officer commanding the light company 
conceived that as their ammunition was nearly expended, they were to be 
relieved by the guards, and began to fall back ; but Sir John, discovering the 
mistake, said to them, " My brave 42d, join your comrades; ami' unition is 
coming, and you have yourbayoucts." They instantly obeyed, and all moved 
forward. 

Captain Hardinge now returned, to report that the guards were advan- 
cing. While he was speaking, and pointing out the situation of the battalion, 
a hot fire was kept up, and the enemy's artillery played incessantly upon the 
spot Sir John Moore was too conspicuous. A cannon ball struck his left 
shoulder, and beat him to the ground. 

He raised himself, and sat up with an unaltered countenance, looking in- 
tently at the Highlanders, who were warmly engaged. Captain Hardinge 
threw himself from his horse, and took him by the hard; then, observing 
his anxiety, he told him the42d were advancing ; upon which his countenance 
immediately brightened. His friend, Colonel Graham, now dismounted to 
assist him; and, from the composure of his features, entertained hopes that 
he was not even wounded ; but observing the horrid laceration, and effusion 
of blood, he rode off for surgeons. 

The general was now carried from the field of b:ttle in a blanket, by a 
sergeant of the 4'2d and some soldiers. On his way, knowing of Sir David 
Baird being wounded, he ordered captain Hardinge to report his own woun.d. 
'<> General Hope, who then assumed the command. 



165 

order prescribed, and marched to their respective points of 
embarkation, in the town and neighbourhood of Coruuna. The 
piquets remained at their posts until five in the morning of the 

The tidings of this unfortunate disaster were carried to Sir David Baitd 
when the surgeons were dressing his shattered arm. He instantly com 
manded them to desist, and to run to attend Sir John Moore ; but when 
they arrived and offered their assistance, he coolly said, " Yeu can be of no 
service to me ; go to the soldiers to whom you may be useful." 

As the soldiers were carrying him slowly along, he made them turn him 
round frequently to view the field of battle, and to listen to the firing ; and 
ua-- well pleased when the sound grew fainter. At this period a spring wagon, 
bearing Colonel YVynch wounded from the battle, came up. The colo- 
nel asked " Who was in the blanket ?" and being told it was Sir John Moore 
he wished him to be placed in the wagon : but the general asking one of the 
Highlanders whether he thought the wagon ov the blanket best, the honest fel- 
low answered that the blanket would not shake him so much, as he and the 
other soldiers could keep the step and carry him easy. Fir John said, " I think 
so too," and thus they proceeded with him to his lodgings, the soldiers shedding 
tears as they went. In carrying him through the passage of the house, he saw 
his faithful servant Francois, who was stunned at the spectacle ; but Sir John 
said to him, smiling. " My friend, this is nothing." 

The remaining incidents of his gallant life we may draw from a sketch writ- 
ten by his most intimate friend, Colonel Anderson, who drew up an account 
the following morning, stating — 

" I met the general in the evening of the lGth, bringing in a blanket and 
sashes. He knew me immediately, though it was almost dark, squeezed mc 
hy the hand, and said, Anderson, don't leave me. He spoke to the surgeons 
on their examining his wound, but was in such pain he could say but little. 

" After sometime he seemed very anxious to speak to me, and at intervals 
got out as follows — Anderson, you know that I have ahvays -unshed to die 
this way .' He then asked, Are the French beaten? which he repeated to 
every one he knew, as they came in. Ihope the people of England will be 
satisfied ! — I hope my country will do me justice .' — Anderson — you will 
see my friends as soon as you can — tell them — every thing — say to my mo- 
ther — here his *oice quite failed, and he was evidently agitated — Hope — Hope 
• — I have much to say to him — but — cannot get it out — are Colonel Graham 
— and all my aids-de-camp well? (Here a piivafe sign was made by Colo- 
nel Anderson not to inform him of Captain Rurrard, son of Sir Marry, one of 
his aids-de-camp, who was wounded in the action, and died two d:.\s after- 
wards) — I have made my will, and have remembered my servants — Col. 
borne has my -will and all my papers 

" Major Colbome then came into the room. He asked the major if the 
French were beaten— It's a great satisfaction for me to know we have heater- 



166 

17th, wheu they were also -withdrawn with similar orders; and 
without the enemy haviug discovered the movement. 

By the unremitting exertions of the navy, and in consequence 
of the judicious arrangements made by the officers directing the 
transport service, the whole were embarked with a degree of ex- 
pedition which has seldom been equalled ; and, with the excep- 
tion of the brigades under Major Generals Hill aid Beresfoid, 
which were destined to remain on shore until the movements of 
the enemy should become manifest, the whole was afloat before 
daylfffht. The brigade of Major G'neral Beresford, which wis 
alternately to form the rearguard, occupied the land front of the 
town of Corunna ; that under Major General Hill was stationed 
in reserve in the promontory in rear of the town. The 
French pushed their light troops towards the town soon after 

the French — 7s Paret in the room ? — On being informed that he was not — 
added — I feel myself so strong- — 1 fear I shall be long dying— On being 
told that Captains Perry and Stanhope, third son of tbe earl were in the 
room, he spoke to both— after some interval, said, * Stanhope, remember me 
to your sister !' — he 'ben pressed Colonel Ande -son's hand close to his body, 
and in a few moments expired without a struggle !" 

'« From a sentiment of veneration," adds bis brother, " that has been felt in 
every age, the corpse of a man who has excited admiration cannot be neglect- 
ed as common clay. This impression leads mankind sometin.es to treat an 
inanimate body with peculiar respect ; and even to bestow upon it unfelt ho- 
nours. This was now the subject of deliberation among the military friends of 
Sir John Moore who had survived the engagement, when Colonel Anderson 
informed them that be bad heard the general repeatedly declare, that 
if he was killed in battle, be wished to be buried where he bad fallen. Central 
Hope and Colonel Graham immediately acceded to his suggestion ; and it 
v/as determined that the body should be interred in the rampart of the citadel 
of Corunna. 

" At twelve at night his remains were accordingly carried to the spot, by 
Colonel Graham, Major Colborne, and his aids-de -camp, and deposited, until 
a grave was dug by a party of the 9th regiment. No coffin could be procured, 
and the body, which was not undressed, was wrapt up by bis sorrowful friends, 
in a military cloak and blankets. Towards eight in the morning some firing 
was heard, when, lest a s rious attack should be made, and prevent the last 
duties being performed, the officers of his family bore tbe body to the grave, 
the funeral service was read by the chaplain, when it was laid in its cold and 
silent, yet honourable bed !" 



16/ 

eight o'clock in the morning of the 17th; and shortly after occu- 
pied the heigh's of St. Lucia, which command the harbour? 
but notwithstanding this circumstance, and the manifold defects 
of the place, there being no apprehension that the rear guard 
Would be forced, and the disposition of the Spaniards appearing 
to be good, the embarkation of Major General Hill's brigade was 
commenced and completed by three o'clock, in the afternoon. 

Major General Beresford, with that zeal and activity so well 
known to be his, having fully explained, to the satisfaction of the 
Spanish governor, the nature of our movement, and having made 
every previous arrangement, withdrew his corps from the land 
front of the town soon after dark, and was, with all the wounded 
that had not been previously moved, embarked before one in the 
morning. 

We now proceed to investigate the occurrences connected 
with the subject of our biography, after his arrival in England ; 
and the close of the proceedings on the Cintra convention. 

On the 25th of January, the house of commons having pro- 
ceeded to confer thanks on the officers who survived the battle 
of Corunua, and to vote a monument in St. Paul's to the gallant 
Moore, Lord Castlereagh then called on the house to confer the 
3ame honour of thanks on Sir Arthur Wellesley, and the other con- 
querors of Vimiera. The noble lord, after expatiating upon the 
services of this distinguished officer, and the bravery of his fol- 
lowers, alluded to the superior numbers of the enemy engaged 
upon this occasion; and concluded with expressing his opinion, 
that the thanks of that house had never been called for by more 
transcendent merit. To this Mr. Whitbread moved an amend- 
ment, for the purpose of introducing the name of Sir Harry 
Burrard ; but, finding the sense of the house decidedly against 
him, withdrew his amendment; and the original notice was car- 
ried, with only one dissenting voice : to which were added thank? 
to the various officers, as well as to the non-commissioned officers 
and privates. 

On a subsequent motion in. parliament, respecting the cam- 
paign in Portugal, Sir Arthur explained his views, and motives 



168 

of action, throughout the whole expedition; which were, to en 
gage the enemy as near to Lisbon as possible, and to have fol- 
lowed up his advantage, exactly as he had proposed to Sir Harry 
Burrard and to Sir Hew Dalrymple: and he again added that if 
the enemy had been vigorously followed after the battle of 
Vimiera, there would have been no reason for concluding a 
convention. 

Sir Arthur on his return had immediately resumed his par- 
liamentary duties as well as his official ones, in the exercise of 
the latter of which, on the 6th of February, he obtained leave 
to bring in two bills ; one to enable the bishops of Ireland and 
the commander of the forces in that country to frank letters; and 
the other to amend and consolidate the various laws relating to 
the Irish militia. 

After this Mr. Whitbrcad, at some length, made a promised 
motion respecting the chief secretaryship of Ireland being held 
by Sir Arthur during his military absence ; and concluded by 
moving " that the office of chief secretary for Ireland is an ef- 
fective office of the highest responsibility, which cannot be held 
by any person absent from the realm ; and that the emoluments 
of that office ought not to be enjoyed by any person who is 
rendered unable by his situation to perform the duties thereof." 

To this Sir Arthur Wellesley answered, that when first he 
was appointed to the secretaryship, it was with the clear under- 
standing that his acceptance of that situation should not preclude 
him from assuming any subsequent military command. Under 
this impression he had gone to Zealand, and afterwards to Portu- 
gal; and in both cases, having fouud the office vacant on his 
return, he had resumed the functions of it. 

But in both cases he had relinquished all claim to a continu- 
ance in it upon his quitting the country, so that he should have 
had no reason to complain had he found it occupied by another. 
That it was not so Avas attributable to the noble duke at the head 
of the government of Ireland, who had very kindly expressed 
his wish still to avail himself of his (Sir Arthur Wellesley's) 
services. 



169 

Aiter some observations, Lord Castlereagh moved, tlie pre- 
vious question, to which Mr. Whitbread did uot object — as he 
said his only object was to prevent the present case from being 
established as a precedent, which he thought the discussion bad 
done. 

After this Sir Arthur Wellesley's parliamentary duties were 
suspended; but, before we proceed to further military de- 
tails, it is proper to notice that his abilities in the senate were 
fully commensurate to those in the field; and it has been well 
.said of him, particularly throughout his defence of his brother, 
that if he could uot silence his adversaries, he always convinced 
his auditors ; whilst his mode of speaking, at once simple, per- 
spicuous, and energetic, was united with so much real modesty 
and diffidence of manner, as to secure him no small share of the 
favour of the house, and a constant degree of flattering at- 
tention. 

It was during the short-lived administration of Lords Grey 
and Grenville that he had come into parliament for an Irish bo- 
rough, but afterwards sat for Newport in Hants : and it was in the 
succeeding administration that he was appointed to the chief 
secretaryship of the sister kingdom ; an office certainly incom- 
patible with the active duties of that profession which he had 
chosen, and of which he had now proved himself to be one of 
the greatest ornaments : but then it must be remembered that he 
accepted it merely on condition of its not prejudicing his mili- 
tary views and pursuits; and that he performed its duties sedu- 
lously whilst at home, and with a degree of highly honourable 
perseverance, at the same time declining all salary during those 
short periods when absent from its duties. 

A treaty of peace, friendship, and alliance, between his Bri- 
tannic majesty and his Catholic majesty Ferdinand the Seventh* 
was now arranged, by which Great Britain guarantied the suc- 
cession and possession of the Spanish crown and empire to Fer- 
dinand himself, or such lawful successor as the Spanish nation 
shall acknowledge ; whilst the Spanish government engaged never 
to cede to France any part of the territories or possessions of the 
22 



no 

Spanish monarchy in any part of the world; making commor 
cause against France, and not to make peace with that power , 
except by common consent. 

Our troops in the Peninsula had now for some time been 
commanded by Sir John Craddock; but the British govern- 
ment having determined on more active operations, it was thought 
proper to intrust the command to Sir Arthur Wellesley, who 
immediately prepared to supersede Sir John, that gallant offi- 
cer's services being required in another part of the globe, where 
they might be equally honourable to himself and useful to his 
country. 

On the 22d of April, Sir Arthur Wellesley landed at Lisbon 
from England, to resume the command of the united British and 
Portuguese armies. He was received with extreme joy by the 
inhabitants, and a splendid illumination took place. On the 
24th he set out to join the army which had already proceeded 
on its march to Oporto. 

On the 9th of May Sir Arthur Wellesley intended that the 
army should march from Coimbra to dispossess the enemy of 
Oporto ; in fact, the advanced guard and the cavalry had march- 
ed on the 7th, and the whole had halted on the 8th, to afford 
time for Marshal Beresford with his corps to arrive upon the 
Douro. The infantry of the army Avas formed into three divi- 
sions for this expedition ; of which two, consisting of the ad 
vanced guard, of the Hanoverian brigade, and the brigade o» 
guards, under Brigadier General Stewart, Lieutenant Generals 
Paget and Payne, &c. with a brigade of artillery, under Lieu- 
tenant General Sherbrooke, moved by the high road from Coim- 
bra to Oporto; whilst one composed of Major General Hill's 
brigade and Brigadier General Cameron's with a brigade of six 
pounders, proceeded by the road from Coimbra to Aveiro. 

On the 10th, in the morning, before daylight, the cavalry and 
advanced guard crossed the Vouga, with the intention to sur- 
prise and cut off four regiments of French cavalry, and a bat- 
talion of iufantry and artillery, cantoned in Mbergaria Nova y 
and the neighbouring villages, about eight miles from that river. 



in 

Id this affair, though not completely successful as far as regarded 
the complete surprise, the superiority of the British cavalry 
was evident throughout the day ; some prisoners and cannon of 
the detachment were taken, and the British advanced guard took 
up the position of Oliveira. 

On the same day Major General Hill, who had embarked at 
Aveiro in the evening of the 9th, arrived at Ovar, in the rear 
of the enemy's right, and the head of Lieutenant General 
Sherbrooke's division passed the Vouga on the same evening. 

On the 11th the advanced guard and cavalry continued to 
move on the high road towards Oporto, with Major General 
Hill's division in a parallel road which leads from Oporto to 
Ovar. On the arrival , of the advanced guard at Vendas Novas, 
between Santo Redondo and Grijon, they fell in with the out- 
posts of the enemy's advanced guards, consisting of about 4,000 
infantry, and some squadrons of cavalry, strongly posted on the 
heights above Grijon, their front being covered by woods and 
broken ground; but the enemy's left flank was in a moment most 
judiciously turned by a movement well executed by Major Gene- 
al Murray, with Brigadier General Langberth's brigade of the 
Hanoveriau Legion; whilst the 16th Portuguese regiment of 
Brigadier General Stewart's brigade attacked their right, and 
the riflemen of the 93d and the flank companies of the 29tb, 
43d, and 52d, of the same brigade under Major Way, attacked 
the infantry in the woods and village in their centre. 

These attacks soon obliged the enemy to give way ; and the 
honourable Brigadier General Steivart immediately led two 
squadrons of the 16th and 20th dragoons, under the command 
of Major Blake, in pursuit of the enemy, destroyed many, and 
took many prisoners. This success, though on a small scale, 
had such an effect upon the French, that they crossed the 
Douro, and destroyed the bridge on the night of the 11th; but 
Sir Arthur soon after collected as many boats as could be brought 
to the ferry immediately above the towns of Oporto and Villa 
Nova, as it was important, with a view to the operations of Mai> 
sltal Beresford, that he should cross the Douro immediately. I* 



172 

furtherance of tins operation, he also in the morning of the 12th 
sent Major General Murray, -with a battalion of the Hanoverian 
Legion, a squadron of cavalry, and two six pounders, to endea- 
vour to collect boats, and, if possible, to cross the river at Ovin- 
tas about four miles above Oporto. 

The ground on the right bank of the river at the ferry imme- 
diately above Oporto, and where Sir Arthur intended to cross, 
was capable of being protected and commanded by the fire of 
cannon, placed on the height of the Sierra Convent at Villa 
Nova, and there appeared to be a good position for the British 
troops on the opposite side of the river, until they should be 
collected in sufficient numbers. The enemy took no notice of 
the collecting of the boats, nor indeed of the embarkatiou of the 
troops, until after the first battalions (the Buffs) were landed, and 
had taken up their position under the command of Lieutenant 
General Paget, on the opposite side of the river. 

They then commenced an attack upon them, with a large bod}- 
of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, under the command of Mar- 
shal Soult, which that corps most gallantly sustained till support- 
ed successively by the 48th and 66th regiments belonging to 
Major General Hill's brigade, and a Portuguese battalion, aDd 
afterwards by the first battalions of detachments belonging to 
Brigadier General Richard Stewart's brigade.* 

* An officer, who was present on this occasion, makes the following lively 
observations : 

" Every thing considered, the passage of the Douro is certainly one of the 
most brilliant achievements on record. The troops had made a forced march 
of above eighty miles from Coimbra in three days and a half, and the whole 
of the artillery was got on, though some parts of the road were so excessively 
bad that it seemed wonderful how the guns ever got through them. From 
the heat of the weather, and the great length of time which the stop- 
page of the artillery forced us to be on the different marches, the fatigues 
which the troops underwent was extreme. The current of the Douro is very- 
rapid, the opposite banks high and steep, in possession of the enemy, and we 
were ignorant of his forces and defences. There was no means of crossing 
the river, except in such small Portuguese boats as the enthusiasm of thepeo 
pie brought to us, at their own peril, from the French side of the river; atocl 



173 

Lieutenant General Paget was unfortunately wounded soon 
after the attack commenced, wheu the command of these gallant 
troops devolved upon Major General Hill : and although the 
French made repeated attacks upon them, they made no impres- 
sion ; and at length Major General Murray (by the masterly 

the troops that first passed had to wait till these hoats went backwards and 
forwards, and successively brought over the remainder. Notwithstanding 
such difficulties, Sir Arthur Wellesley did not delay one moment in crossing 
the river. The animation and bravery of the troops seconded his activity 
and presence of mind ; the enemy's batteries were soon taken, himself de- 
feated at all points, a vast number of prisoners made ; and when the pursuit 
was ordered to cease, one sentiment of regret pervaded all. The bridge 
over the Douro being destroyed, there was no means of getting over the 
artillery, and only about sixty of the dragoons had already crossed. Under 
these circumstances, Sir Arthur Wellesley durst not in prudence pursue, 
though we have since learned from some English officers who were with the 
French army, and afterwards mnde their escape, that the confusion was so 
great, and the troops so entangled with baggage, &c. that the greatest part of 
them must have been taken prisonersjif we had continued the pursuit. 

" The country was so hostile to the French, that they could not get any 
information of our movements : the advance from Coinibra was therefore 
unexpected ; and it was so very rapid, that they were completely taken by 
surprise. 

" Seven hundred sick were by this means left in the hospital. Marshal 
Soult's dinner was preparing, and was actually eaten by Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley. Some of the captured generals were taken in the streets of Oporto. Many 
men were killed in the streets by the 29th regiment, and General Laborde's 
baggage was taken just beyond the entrance of the city. 

« The scene was altogether most beautiful, and perfectly unique. The day 
was very fine ; and, the tide being in, the river was quite full. 

" Immediately opposite to Oporto is the town of Villa Nova, where we 
embarked to cross the river. Here on the beach was raised an immense stand- 
ard of white cloth, on which the sign of the cross was embroidered ; the oppo- 
site walls of Oporto were lined with people waving wbite handkerchiefs to us, 
expressing, by their signs and gestures, their extreme anxiety for our passing 
the river; the Portuguese rowed their own boats, and the animation these 
poor fishermen displayed, and their exertions to get us quickly over, were 
very striking. The houses, as we passed through the streets, were principally 
shut, for fear of being pillaged by the French in their retreat; but the bal- 
conies were full of people, chiefly women, and from one end of the shore to 
the other there was a contmWd line of vhite hShdkeve'hlefs v. aved to us from 
the MTconirs: 



If4 

movement of the morning) haviug appeared on the left flank of 
ihe French, on his march from Ovintra Avhere he had crossed, 
and Lieutenant General Sherbrooke (who by this time had 
availed himself of the enemy's weakness in the town of Oporto, 
and had crossed the Douro at the ferry, between the towns of 
Villa Nova and Oporto) having appeared upon the right with 
the brigade of guards, and the 29th regiment, the whole of the 
enemy's force retired in the utmost confusion towards Ama- 
rantha, leaving behind them five pieces of cannon, eight ammu- 
nition tumbrels, and mr r y prisoners : their loss amounted to a 
considerable number, and they left 700 sick and wounded behind 
them iu the hospitals at Oporto. 

The exertions of the army iu this affair were highly deserving 
of praise. In four days they had marched over eighty miles of most 
difficult country, and had gained many important positions, and 
had actually engaged and defeated three different bodies of the 
enemy's troops. Oporto now became the reward of the 
Captors. 

Sir Arthur, immediately on entering Oporto, very prudently and 
Humanely issued a proclamation, in which he required from the in- 
habitants that they should comport themselves with compassion and 
humanity towards the French prisoners, who by the laws of war 
were entitled to his protection. He showed them that it would 
be inconsistent with the generosity and humanity of the Portu- 
guese nation to revenge upon those unfortunate individuals the 
outrages and calamities which it had suffered; and he, therefore, 
directed all the inhabitants to remain tranquil in the town, and 
to forbear appearing in the streets with arms. 

When Sir Arthur VVellesley first determined upon the expe- 
dition to the north of Portugal against Marshal Soult,* he had 

* Marshal Soult is now upwards of fifty years of age ; he is described to 
he strong and active, but a libertine and avaricious. In fact, glory is but his 
third passion, coming in after money and women ; so that wben he first heard 
of his appointment some years ago to the then Army of England, he said, 
in the presence of an Englishman then in France, " Now I am going to re- 
cruit my seraglio and to fill my coffers, by putting into requiiition English 
misses and English guineas." 



sanguine hopes that the Portuguese General, Silviera, would be 
able to hold his post upon the Tamaga till he should be rein- 
forced ; by means of which position, and by the possession of 
Chaves, the enemy's retreat would have been cut off, excepting 
across the Minho river; but even that he had hoped to render 
impracticable by pressing hard upon his rear. This well con- 
certed plan was, however, deranged by the French having got 
possession of the bridge of Amarantha, where Silviera was posted ; 
particularly as Sir A^'hur had no real ground to hope that Mar- 
shal Beresford, who was then marching towards Lamego, would 
be able to effect more than to confine the enemy on that side, and 
oblige him to retire by Chaves into Gallicia, rather than by Villa 
Real into Castile. 

Yet the gallant Beresford effected more than was supposed 
possible : and after having driven in the enemy's posts at Villa 
Real and Maisan Frien with some loss, actually forced General 
Loison's outposts at the bridge of Amarantha, and again acqui- 
red possession of the left bank of the Tamaga, on the very day 
that the commander in chief had so gallantly passed the Douro. 
In fact, no sooner had the intelligence of this brilliant coup de 
main reached Loison than he judged it prudent to retire imme- 
diately from Amarantha, and to join the advanced guard of the 
French army, when General Beresford instantly occupied his 
evacuated post. 

On the morning of the 13th Sir Arthur Wellesley led his 
army from Oporto in pursuit of the retreating enemy, and in the 
evening he received information that they had destroyed a great 
proportion of their artillery in the neighbourhood of Pennafiel, 
and had directed their march towards Braga; a measure to 
which he was evidently driven in consequence of Marshal Beres- 
ford's cooperation on the Tamasa. 

Sir Arthur, on having these facts well ascertained, immediately 
proceeded, on the morning of the 14th, with the army in two 
columns towards the Minho river, directing the marshal to 
march upon Chaves in case the enemy should turn to his right, 
whilst Major General Murray with the Hanoverian Legion was 



l?6 

to communicate with the marshal, if, as then reported, Luisou 
should remain in the vicinity of Amarautha. 

In unison with these general orders the pursuit was continued 
until the 15th, when Sir Arthur with the main body arrived at 
Braga, and on the following day at Salamonde ; and this with 
such rapidity that the guards under Lieutenant General Sher- 
brooke and Brigadier General Campbell, then in advance of the 
British army, had an affair with the enemy's rear guard at a 
late hour in the evening. In this business the British attacked 
them in position, and having turned their, flanks by the heights, 
the enemy immediately retreated, leaving a gun and some pri- 
soners behind them.* 

On the 17th and 18th the pursuit continued, and on the latter- 
day the British army arrived at Blonte Alegre, when Sir Arthur 
found that Soult had taken a road through the mountains towards 

* The sufferings of the French army at this time were dreadful, as ap- 
pears by the journal of an officer on the spot. 

" The road as we went along was strewed with wrecks of their army, 
dead horses, muskets, ammunition, knapsacks, bodies of French soldiers, 
murdered and stripped by the peasants, and now and then a solitary soldier 
lying on the road side, and dying from fever, want, and fatigue. 

" The scene at the bridge over the Cabado was most striking and affect- 
ing. The bridge is very narrow, and the confusion had been so great, that 
the cavalry, in passing, had trampled down the infantry. Vast numbex-s of 
men and horses had been precipitated over the battlements. The bed of the 
torrent was covered with drowned horses, or such as had been lamed in their 
fall ; the banks were strewed with baggage of every description — arms, 
knapsacks, dead horses, dead bodies, &c. and if to this assemblage of sad 
and melancholy desolation, you add the effects of the surrounding scenery, 
immense mountains, a furious and rapid torrent forcing its way among piles 
of rocks, and continually augmented by long cascades from the mountains, 
you may form some opinion of the sort of feelings which such a vrew must 
inspire. 

" The quantity of plunder collected in Oporto by the French must have 
been enormous; there is hardly a species of property but uhat we found 
in the knapsacks that were thrown away; plate of every description, 
jewelry, quantities of money, women's ornaments, and clothes of all sorts. 
A man of the 83d regiment got a bar of solid gold ; another found one of 
silver." 



17? 

Orenza, by -which it would be difficult, if not impossible, to 
overtake him, and on which he had no means of stopping him. 

That the enemy had a great superiority over the British in 
the celerity of his movements upon this occasion, is evident; 
but that is not surprising when we consider that he commenced 
his retreat by destroying so large a quantity of his guns and 
ammunition. In fact, he afterwards destroyed the remainder, 
and a great part of his baggage, and kept nothing except what the 
troops or a few mules could carry. 

He also left behind him his sick and wounded, and the road 
from Penafiel to Monte^Alegre was strewed with the carcasses of 
horses and mules, and French soldiers who were put to death by 
the peasantry before ^he British advanced guard could save 
them.* During this retreat the British picked up about 500 
prisoners ; but the enemy, upon the whole, lost not less than one 
fourth of their whole number. That it got away at last was 
considered as matter of regret; but Sir Arthur very judiciously 
observed, that if an army throws away all its cannon, equipments, 
and baggage, and every thing which can strengthen it, and can 
enable it to act together as a body, and abandons all those who 
are entitled te its protection, but retard its progress, it must then 
be able to march by roads through which it cannot be followed 
with any prospect of being overtaken by an army which has not 
made the same sacrifices. 

In this brisk pursuit, too, we must not omit that, notwithstand- 
ing all the care of the general, the British troops suffered consi- 
derably from the state of the weather; the rain having been 
constant for nearly a week, and the roads in that difficult coun- 

* The commander in chief observed, in his despatches, that this was the 
natural effect of the species of warfare which the enemy had carried or. in 
Portugal. The French soldiers, he added, had plundered and murdered the 
peasantry at their pleasure, and he had seen many persons hanging on the 
trees by the sides of the road, executed for no reason that he could learn, 
excepting that they were not friendly to the French invasion and usurpation 
of the government of their country. He also said thai the route of their 
column on the retreat could, 'oe traced by the smoke of the villages to which 
they set fire ! 

no 



178 

try almost impracticable ; yet they persevered with spirit in ths 
pursuit to the very last, having been generally on the r march 
from daylight in the morning until dark. The brigade of guards 
were at the head of the column through the whole business, aud, 
as Sir Arthur observed, set a most laudable example to the 
whole army, and conducted themselves remarkably well in the 
affair with the enemy's rear guard at Salamonde. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley (after the complete expulsion of Soult 
from Portugal) marched his army southward from the Minho to 
Abrantes, where he collected stores and provisions to enable him 
to march into Spain to join General Cuesta, who had assembled 
about 40,000 men round Monude. On forming a junction, it 
was proposed to attack Victor's and Sebastiani's corps, these 
being united and occupying an entrenched position near Truxillo, 
about 70 miles from the Portuguese frontiers.* In the mean 
time the Avar in Spain was carried on with various success. The 
army of General Blake had resumed offensive operations, and 
had formed a junction with the armies of Murcia and Valencia. 
A division of his army had, however, been surprised near Sara- 
gossa by a French corps under General Suchet, and obliged to 
retire Avith considerable loss. 

Blake then advanced to Tortosa with the intention of attack- 
ing General St. Cyr's corps ; and at Alcantara a most gallant ac- 
tion was fought between 2,000 Spaniards, commanded by Colo- 
nels Mayne and Grant, British officers, and a body of French 
consisting of 10,000 men, in which the latter lost upwards of 
1,200, and the small body of brave Spaniards were enabled to re- 
treat with only a small comparative loss. In this the enemy also 
had 1,500 cavalry and 12 field pieces; but the Spaniards fought 
with such fury, aud such indescribable gallantry, that they main- 
tained the pass until sunset, in spite of a most dreadful aud galliug 
fire from the whole of the enemy's line. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley, on his return from the pursuit of Soult, 
was obliged to remain long inactive in the vicinity of Lisbon, 

* At this period, (3d Jul),) General Crawford liad arrived at T isbon with 
a reinforcement of 3,000 men from Ireland, and bad proceeded to Abrantes. 



If 9 

aot by any means from his own disposition, which was full of 
activity and ardour in the cause, and forward and adventurous in 
quest of personal reputation. He was, indeed, anxious to strike 
some decisive blow ; but before this could be attempted, it was 
necessary that some plan of cooperation should be concerted be- 
tween him and the Spanish generals, particularly Cuesta. He 
was also extremely anxious that Cuesta should not attempt any 
movement of importance without the English army, and at length 
obtained his promise that he would suspend his operations until 
the British army had reached the Tagus. 

In his subsequent arrangements he found many obstacles with 
respect to the management of the Spanish generals and juntas, 
and in urging them to call forth all the energies and means of 
their country, particularly with Cuesta, who was a friend to a kind 
of harassing warfare, and not very willing to run the risk of any 
great or decisive battle. At length, however, a plan of operations 
was concerted between the British and Spanish generals, and 
both began their march towards Madrid. 

One of the most important and splendid victories in the Penin- 
sula was now approaching ; it is necessary, therefore, to examine 
the previous military transactions with some degree of precision, 
in order to investigate and understand its real merits. 

Early in July, Joseph Bonaparte joined Sebastiani with those 
troops which he brought from Madrid, and with a detachment 
from Marshal Victor's corps, making the force under Sebas. 
tiani about 23,000 men, and their intention was to attack the 
Spanish corps under General Vanegas ; but that officer retired 
into the mountains of the Sierra Morena; and, though forced to 
retreat, was still able to attack and destroy a considerable part of 
the enemy's advanced guard. 

The French troops then returned to the Tagus; and the whole 
army then under Victor, and amounting to about 35,000, were 
concentrated in the neighbourhood of Talavera, and on the 
Alberche. 

General Cue«ta's Spanish force was now in the vicinity at 
Almaras, and the advanced guard of the British army arrived 



189 

at Placentia on the 8th of July, the whole of the troops being 
finally collected about the 16th. 

Sir Arthur Wellesley, with his usual precision, now proceeded 
to Cuesta's head-quarters, and having stopped with him two days, 
arranged a plan of operations upon the French army, which were 
to commence about the 18th, if they should remain so long in 
their position as to allow the whole British force to come up. At 
this period the Spanish army amounted to about 38,000 men, 
(exclusive of the force under Vanegas,) of which about 7,000 
were cavalry, 14,000 of this force were detached to the bridge 
of Arzobispo, and the remainder were encamped under the Puerte 
de Mirabete. 

Accordiug to these arrangements, the British army broke up 
from Placentia on the 17th, and reached Oropesa on the 20th, 
where a junction was formed with the Spanish force. Previous 
to this Sir Robert Wilson had marched from his positions, 
and arrived on the Alberche on the 23d, with the Lusitanian 
Legion, and a small Spanish and Portuguese force ; whilst Vane- 
gas, having broke up from Madrileyos, was able to cross the 
Tagus by a ford at Puente Duenes, and to arrive at Argand 
about the same time. 

The combined armies moved from Oropesa on the 22d, and 
the advanced guards attacked the enemy's outposts at Talavera, 
when their right was turned by the 1st hussars and the 23d light 
dragoons under General Anson, directed by Lieutenant General 
Payne, and by the division of infantry under Major General 
Mackenzie, and they were driven in by the Spanish advanced 
guards under the command of General Sarjas, and the Due 
d' Albuquerque. 

The united armies now approaching the enemy rapidly, the 
columns were formed for the attack of the position of Talavera 
de la Reynaon the 24th of July ; but the attack being postponed 
until the morning of the 25th by desire of General Cuesta, the 
columns were again put in motion, and the different corps ad- 
vanced, when it was discovered that the bird had flown, and 
that tne enemy had actually retired about one in the raorniog to 
3 



181 

Stanta Olalla, and thence towards Torrijos, evidently with the 
intention of forming a junction with Sebastiani. 

At this period Sir Arthur Wellesley found his operations much 
crippled, and his advance after a retreating army much retarded, 
on account of the great deficiency of means of transport in Spain. 
General Cucsta had indeed urged the central junta to adopt 
vigorous measures in order to relieve the general wants; but 
these means were not taken with sufficient resolution, and Sir 
Arthur was forced to come to the determination of not moving 
from Talavera until he was supplied ; as, in fact, he was no 
longer able to continue his operations without this relief. 

General Cuesta, however, followed the enemy's line of march 
with his army from the Alberche on the morning of the 24th, as 
far as Santa Olalla, and pushed forward his advanced guard as 
far as Torrijos : and, at the same time, Sir Arthur, but without 
breaking up his main body, detached two divisious of infantry*. 
and a brigade of cavalry, across the Alberche to Casalegos, 
under the command of Lieutenant General Sherbrooke, with a 
view to keep up the communication between him and the Spanish 
army, and with Sir Robert Wilson's force at Escalona. It hap- 
pened unfortunately at this junction that General Vanegas had 
not carried into execution that part of the preconcerted plan 
of operations which related to his corps, so that he was still at 
Dam'iel in La Mancha, by which means the French, by the 26th, 
had been enabled quietly to collect all their detachments in that 
part of Spain, between Torrijos and Toledo, in which latter place 
they only left a garrison of 2,000 men. 

The French united army now consisted of the corps of Mar- 
shal Victor, of that of General Sebastiani, and of seven or eight 
thousand men of Joseph Bonaparte's guards, and the garrison of 
Madrid : a most splendid and apparently overbeaiing concentra- 
tion of force ; the whole commanded by Joseph himself, aided by 
Marshals Jourdan aud Victor, and General Sebastiani. 

Flushed with their numbers, the French now adopted a plan of 
attack instead of retreat ; and on the 26th, Cuesta's army was 
attacked upon his advanced posts near Torrijos, from whence he 



182 

was obliged to fall back, retiring upoa the left bank of the Alber" 
die, General Sherbrooke still continuing at Casalegos, and the 
enemy at Santa Olalla. 

Sir Arthur was now convinced that the French .intended to 
try the result of a general action, for which the best position ap- 
pearing to be in the vicinity of Talavera, he prevailed on Cuesta 
to take up this position on the morning of the 27th, and imme- 
diately ordered General Sherbrooke to retire with his corps to its 
station in the line, leaving General Mackenzie with a division of 
infantry and a brigade of cavalry as an advanced post in the 
wood on the right of Albcrche, which covered our left flank. 

The position now taken up by the troops extended rather more 
than two miles; the ground was open upon the left, where the 
British army was stationed, and it was commanded by a height 
on which was, en Schellon, and in second line, a division of 
infantry under the orders of Major General Hill. Between this 
height and a range of mountains still further upon the left, there 
was 5 a valley, not at first occupied, as it was commanded by the 
height itself ; and the range of mountains appeared too distant to 
have any influence upon the expected action. 

The Spanish troops* formed the right of the whole, and they 
extended immediately in front of the town of Talavera down to 
the Tagus. This part of the ground was covered by olive trees, 
and much intersected by ditches. The high road, leading from 
the bridge over the Alberche, was defended by a heavy battery, 

* « On the 21st we passed the town of Oropesa, which appears to hare 
teen a place of considerable note, though now totally deserted, and certainly 
contains many spacious and handsome edifices, both public and private. On 
the 84th we were treated with a sight of the Spanish army, who marched 
through, headed by Cuesta, and a respectable looking priest; they com- 
prised a very large force, both of cavalry and infantry, and were dressed in 
r.verv colour the rainbow itself can boast, forming en masse a most irregular 
set, not to be compared, even in appearance, to our rawest volunteers ; but 
amounting. It was said, to between forty and fifty thousand men. They 
moved on to take a station in front; it being their general's desire that the 
Spaniards should stand foremost in the Spanish cause." 

Journal of an Officer. 



183 

in front of a church, which was occupied by Spanish infantry. 
All the avenues to the town were defended in a similar maDner; 
the town was occupied, and the remainder of the Spanish infan- 
try was formed in two Hues behind the banks, in the roads 
which led from the town and the right to the left of the British 
force. 

In the centre, between the two armies, there was a commanding 
spot of ground, on which the combined troops had begun to con- 
struct a redoubt with some open ground in its rear ; and at this 
spot Brigadier General Alexander Campbell was posted with a 
division of infantry, supported by General Cotton's brigade of 
dragoons, and some Spanish cavalry in his rear. 

Such was the disposition of the British and Spanish armies, as 
directed by the gallant AVellesley with all the military talents of 
a Scipio or a Hannibal, and detailed by himself with all the ele- 
gant precision of a Polybius.* 

The operations now commenced, and about two o'clock on the 
27th the enemy appeared in strength on the left bank of the 
Alberche, and manifested an intention to attack General Mac- 
kenzie's division. It was not the intention of Sir Arthur that 
the business should commence on this spot; but the French with 
great rapidity had made it before the troops could be withdrawn. 
However, the whole of this detachment of the British force, 
consisting of General Mackenzie's and Colonel Donkiu's bri- 
gades, and General Anson's brigade of cavalry, and supported by 
General Payne with the other four regiments of cavalry, in the 
plain between Talavera and the wood, were all withdrawn in good 

* " We, afterwards, passed the river Alberca over a very fine bridge of 
•igbt arches. It was fordable, and intersected by an infinity of small sands. 
In the afternoon the scenery assumed a new character; we saw a great quan- 
tity of cork trees, and, in the distance, mountains covered with snow. At 
length we arrived at Talavera de la Reyna, a town surrounded by a very 
rich country and beautiful avenues of trees. The smiling interior of the 
country shows that it anciently enjoyed a degree of affluence, which it still 
retains. From Talavera we turned to the left, and rode almost the whole 
day along paths that meandered among orchards and delightful flowery 

meadows," * 

Journal of an officer. 



184 

order, but with some loss, particularly by the 2d battalion of the 
87th, audthe 2d battalion of the 31st, in the wood. 

The conduct of General Mackenzie upon this occasion, and 
the military and officer like style ia which he withdrew his ad- 
vanced guard, was much praised by the commander in chief, 
whilst the steadiness and discipline of the 45th regiment, and of 
the 5th battalion of the 60th, were most conspicuous. 

As the day advanced, the enemy appeared in greater numbers 
on the right bank of the Alberche ; and the general saw clearly 
that he was now advancing to a general attack, whilst General 
Mackenzie continued to fall back gradually upon the left of the 
British position, where he took his station in the second line in 
rear of the guards, Colonel Doukin being placed in the same situa- 
tion, further upon the left, in the rear of the German Legion. It 
was now the dusk of the evening, and the enemy immediately 
commenced his attack, by a cannonade upon the British position, 
and by an attempt with his cavalry to overthrow the Spanish in- 
fantry on the right : but this g< n..ral attempt, on both ends of the 
line, failed ^entirely. He, however, early in the night, pushed a 
division along the valley on the left of the height occupied by 
General Hill, of which he obtained a momentary position; but 
General Hill attacked it instantly with the bayonet, and carried 
it. This attack was repeated during the night, but failed ; and 
again at daylight in the morning of the 28th, by two divisions of 
infantry, but was a third time repulsed by the gallant Hill. In 
all these affairs the conduct both of officers and men was most 
meritorious, and many lives were lost, and General Hill himself 
slightly wounded. 

The enemy now determined to carry every thing by a general 
coup de main, and accordingly made an attack along the wholeij 
line of the British, with the whole of his force. Previous to this, J 
however, in consequence of the repeated attempts upon the height 
on the left, by the valley, Sir Arthur Wellesley had placed two 
brigades of British cavalry in that valley, supported in the rear 
by the Due d'Albuquerque's division of Spanish cavalry. The 
flneray then placed light infantry in the range of mountains on the 



185 

left of the valley, which were opposed by a division of Spanish 
infantry under Lieutenant General de B3ssecourt. 

The general attack now commenced by the march of several 
columns of infantry into the valley with a view to attack the 
height occupied by General Hill; but these columns Avere im- 
mediately charged by the 1st German light dragoons and 23d 
dragoons under the command of General Anson, directed by 
Lieutenant General Payne, and supported by General Fane's 
brigade of heavy cavalry ; and although the 23d dragoons suffer- 
ed considerable loss, the charge had the effect of preventing the 
execution of that part of the enemy's plan. 

Whilst this general attack was made upon the left, with what 
he hoped would be a preponderant force, another took place up- 
on Brigadier Geueral Alexander Campbell's position in the cen- 
tre of the combined armies, and on the right of the British ; but 
this attack was in like manner most successfully repulsed by Ge- 
neral Campbell, supported by the king's regiment of Spanish 
cavalrj r , and two battalions of Spanish infantry ; and that with 
such effect that the enemy left their artillery behind them. The 
whole of this part of the business was conducted in high style, 
and much to the satisfaction of Sir Arthur himself, who appears 
to have been in the midst of this as well as of the other attacks. 

Whilst these operations were thus going on, the enemy made 
another attack upon Lieutenant General Sherbrooke's division, 
which was on the left and centre of the first line of the British 
army. This was perhaps as gallant a part of the business as took 
place on that day ; for the attack was most spiritedly repulsed 
by a charge of bayonets by the whole division, in which, how- 
ever, our troops suffered much from the impetuosity of their gal- 
lantry ; for the brigade of guards, which were on the right, hav- 
ing advanced too far, they were exposed on their left flauk to the 
fire of the enemy's battery, and of their retiring columns ; and 
the division was obliged to retire towards the original position, 
under cover of the second line of General Cotton's brigade of 
cavalry, which had been moved from the centre, and of the 1st 
battalion of the 13th. which had been most judiciously movpd by 
2 1 



lttb 

the commander in chief from its original position on the heights, 
as soon as he observed the advance of the guards ; and it wa - 
formed in the plain and advanced upon the enemy, and thu* 
covered the forming of General Sherbrooke's division. 

In this attack, the whole of the enemy's troops were evidently 
employed, but repulsed in all directions : and they immediately 
commenced their retreat across the Alberche, during the night. 
This they conducted in the most regular order, nor would it 
have been prudent for the combined armies to pursue ; they left, 
however, in our possession, twenty pieces of cannon, a quantity 
of ammunition, and some prisoners. 

After so long an action, with more than double numbers, it is 
not surprising that the loss of the British both in men and officers 
should have been very great. That of the enemy was, however, 
much greater ; as Sir Arthur Wellesley had the most positive 
information that entire brigades of infantry were destroyed, and 
that the battalions which retired were much reduced in numbers; 
their total loss amounting at least to ten thousand men, that of the 
British being as in the note below.* 

The French (still numerically superior to the combined army) 
continued to keep a rear guard of about ten thousand men on the 
left of the Alberche ; whilst the extreme fatigue of the troops, 
the want of provisions, and the number of wounded to be taken 
care of, obliged the Britisn" to remain in their position so gallantly 
defended. 

A reinforcement, consisting of Brigadier General Crawford's 
brigade, arrived in the British camp on the 29th in the morn- 
ing; and so great had been their anxiety to join in the expected 

* On the side of tie French, Generals Lapisse and Morlot were killed ; and 
Generals Sebastiani and Bojilet wounded. On the British side Major Ge- 
neral Mackenzie and Brigadier General Langwcrth were killed; whilst Ma- 
jor General Hill and Brigadier General A. Campbell were slightly wounded. 

The total British loss on both days amounted to 34 officers killed, and 195 
wounded; whilst the sergeants. &c and rank and file were, killed 767; 
wounded 3,718; and officers, with 644 others missing; making a grand tots" 
of 5,367- 



13? 

conflict, that they had actually marched twelve Spanish leagues 
in little more than twenty-four hours; and on the 31st of July, 
about eleven o'clock at night, the enemy withdrew their rear 
guard, which hadCbeen posted on the heights on the left of the 
Alberche, the whole army marching towards Santa Olalla, as if 
with a view of taking up a position iti the vicinity of Guada- 
rama. 

Immediately after the battle of Talavera, Sir Arthur Welles- 
ley was declared generalissimo of the Spanish armies, a cir- 
cumstance which it M'as hoped would produce more unity of de- 
sign in the Spanish proceedings, both civil and military. 

The extraordinary fatigues and exertions he had undergone 
had, however, brought on an ague and fever, so that it was ne- 
cessary that he should remove for some time to Lisbon for the 
benefit of the air. 

On the 28th of July, the very day of the memorable battle, 
his brother, the Marquis of Wellesley, lauded at Cadiz from on 
board a British frigate, and was received v,ith the most enthu- 
siastic joy by all ranks. A vast multitude flocked down to the 
landing-place to receive him, and his carriage was drawn by the 
populace, a thing almost unprecedented in Spain. 

Every public honour that could be shown to him, as ambassa- 
dor extraordinary from Great Britain, and as brother to the 
illustrious general, was exhibited. On the 7th of August a 
grand entertainment was prepared, at which the marquis with his 
suite, the heads of the government, the army, navy, and other 
departments, both native and British, were all assembled, together 
with the Sicilian ambassador, the Pope's Nuncio, several of the 
first Spanish grandees ; and, in fact, all persons of respectability 
connected with the two uations. 

Patriotic toasts were given to enliven the scene, and the most 
brilliant theatric decorations were afterwards presented. 

On the 10th the marquis set out for Seville, where he was 
received with every mark of respect by the Supreme Junta, to 
whom he earnestly recommended that measures should be taken 
to pursue a more vigorous system for the cffrcfnal cooperation 



18U 

of the Spanish armies against their invaders ; whilst at the same 
time he, with great prudence and propriety, declined giving any 
advice as to their civil forms of government, or even respecting 
the proposal for a regency ; a line of conduct fully adequate to 
convince the people of Spain that Great Britain only interfered 
for her welfare, in common with the great question of public 
liberty in Europe, without the slightest wish to interfere in her 
questions of domestic policy or internal regulation, and also 
proving that the introduction of an English army into Spain was 
solely for her defence against foreign invasion. 

Notwithstanding the successful defence of Talavera, amount- 
ing, in fact, itself to a signal victory, though not so in its con- 
sequences, Sir Arthur Wellesley found himself shortly after- 
wards obliged to fall back and take a defensive position on the 
Tagus at Deley tosa and its vicinity. As much of the success of 
the British army, or at least of its power to take advantage of 
its own victories, depended on the active cooperation of the 
Spaniards, not only indeed in a military, but in a civil point of 
view, it is necessary to go a little into the detail of that state of 
affairs which rendered such a retreat necessary, after so much 
blood had been shed, and so much glory gained. 

It appears, then, that when Sir Arthur Wellesley first entered 
Spain he had a communication with General Cuesta, respecting 
the occupation of two points on the Tagus, the Puerto de Banos 
and the Puerto de Penales; on which it was arranged that the for- 
mer should be occupied by a Spanish force under the Marquis de 
la Reyna, whilst the latter should be held by the Duque del Parque, 
with a detachment from the garrison of Ciudad liodrigo. With re- 
spect to the fulfilment of the latter part of the arrangement the Bri- 
tish general had some doubts, fearing that garrison not capable of 
sparing a sufficient force ; and he therefore wrote to Marshal 
Beresford, some days before the battle of Talavera, to keep an 
eye upon it ; but with respect to Puerto de Banos, a post of great 
importance, he had no doubt of its security, Cuesta having 
agreed to preserve it by large detachments from his army. Two 
days, however, after the battle, intelligence was received at 



189 

Talavera that 12,000 rations had been ordered atFuente Due- 
nos for the 28th, and 24,000 at Los Santos for the same day, for 
a French corps, which, it was believed, was on its march to 
Puerto de Banos. 

On this occasion Cuesta expressed considerable anxiety for 
the safety of this post, and proposed to Sir Arthur that Sir 
Robert Wilsou should be sent there with his corps; but though 
Sir Robert was that day at Talavera, yet his corps was in the 
mountains towards Escalona; and a6 he had already made him- 
self very useful in that quarter, and had even been near Madrid, 
with which city he had kept up some communication, Sir Arthur 
was anxious to continue those services, and therefore proposed that 
Cuesta should immediately detach a Spanish force to the post 
that was threatened. But though Cuesta admitted the necessity 
of a reinforcement being sent, and confessed himself fully sensi- 
ble of the propriety of continuing Sir Robert Wilson's exertions 
in their former quarter, still he could not be prevailed on to 
detach a part of his own army. 

Having at that period no further intelligence of the enemy's 
advance, Sir Arthur was in hopes that they might be deterred 
from their project by the intelligence of the defeat of their main 
body ; or at least that the garrison at the post would be capable 
of their own defence. On the 30th, however, he again renewed 
his application to Cuesta, but without effect ; nor Avas it uutil the 
2d of August that he could be prevailed upon to detach General 
Bassecourt, and that after intelligence had arrived of the enemy 
having entered Bcjar, and when it was obvious that no defence 
would be made by the troops in the Puerto. 

On the 2d of August intelligence was received of the enemy 
having entered Placentia in two columns ; aud that the Marquis 
de la Reyna, whose two battalions did not amount to more than 
600 men, with only about twenty rounds of ammunition each, had 
retired from the Puerto and Placentia, without firing a shot, and 
had gone to the bridge of Almaras, which he declared he intended 
to remove ; when the battalions at Bejar dispersed without ma- 
king any resistance. 



1'3Q 

As soon as this intelligence was known, Cuesta then thought 
proper to apply to Sir Arthur Wellesley, proposing that half of 
the army should march to the rear to oppose the euemy, whilst 
the other half should maintain the post at Talavera : to which 
the British general answered, that if by " half the army," he 
meant half of each army, he could only reply that he was ready 
to go, or to stay, with the whole British army, but that he could 
not consent to separate it. Cuesta then wished that Sir Arthur 
should choose between the two, wheu he preferred to go, thinking 
that the British troops were most likely to do the business effec- 
tually and without contest, and from being of opinion that to open 
the communication through Placentia, although very important 
to the Spaniards, was still of more importance to the British 
army : with Avhich decision General Cuesta appeared perfectly 
satisfied. 

But the movements of the main body of the French army, 
ever since the 1st of August, had induced Sir Arthur to be of 
opinion, that on despairing of forcing the posts at Talavera, they 
intended to effect a passage by hscalona, and thus to open a com- 
munication with the French corps coming from Placentia. This 
suspicion was confirmed on the night of the 2d, by communica- 
tions from Sir Ptobert Wilson;* when Sir Arthur Wellesley pre- 

* The gallant and judicious Sir Robert Wilson, who has distinguished him- 
self so much, both in the literary and military worlds, is the son of an emi- 
nent historical painter, Mr; Benjamin Wilson, who, about the middle of the 
last century, resided in Great Queen-street, London, and disputed the palm 
with Hudson and Ramsey, the two most popular artists of that day. Sir 
Robert was the youngest son, and was educated at Winchester and West- 
minster schools, at the latter of which places an anecdote is preserved of his 
early military bias ; for, havingheard that his majesty would have a grand review 
at (Jtesar's camp on Bagshot heath, the youthful aspirant after fame actually 
lured a pony, and with the immense sum of a few shillings broke from his 
form to enjoy the splendour of the scene. Fate and his father designed him 
for the civil warfare of the courts of law ; but inclination got the better of 
prudence, and the inconsiderate kindness of a married sister enabled him 
to join the army in Flanders, (where his brother-in-law, Colonel Boswell, was 
killed,) he being then only sixteen years of age, and of course unable to 
draw upon his own fortune, his father being dead. Here he began his 



191 

pared for every chance, immediately waited upon General 
O'Doneghue, and pointed out to him the possibility that, in case 
the enemy came through Escalona, General Cuesta would be 
obliged to evacuate Talavera before Sir Arthur should be able 
to return to him ; he therefore urged him in the strongest manner 
to colk.ct all the carts he possibly could, in order to remove the 
British sick and wounded; and he further put the purport of 
the communication in writing, in order to be laid before General 
Cuesta. 

Having arranged every thing, witfi every attention in his 
power, to the security of the British hospitals, Sir Arthur com- 
menced his march on the 3d to Oropesa ; and, hearing that Ge- 
neral Bassecourt's Spanish corps was at Cantinello, he sent 
orders for it to halt there the next day, in order that he might be 
nearer to it; but, about five in the evening of that day, he re- 
ceived intelligence that the French had arrived from Placentia 
at Naval Bloral, by which movement they got between him and 
the bridge of Almaras; ar.d about an hour afterwards he received 
a letter from General O'Donoghue, informing him of the inten- 
tion of General Cuesta to evacuate Talavera that evening, and 
to leave there the British licsftital, excepting such men as could 
be moved by the means he already possessed; and this on the 
ground of his apprehensions that Sir Arthur was not strong 
enough for the corps coming from Placentia, and that the enemy 
was moving upon his flank, and had returned to Santa Olalla, ia 
his front. 

career as cornet in the 15th dragoons, anil has since been engaged in all the- 
active scenes of the various wars arising out of the French revolution, having, 
also been engaged in several important military missions. His personal skil! 
and gallantry are sufficiently proved by the fact, that, in the brilliant affair oi 
Villers en Couejie, he was one of the officers present when one hundred and 
seventy British dragoons, under the command of Major Aylet, actually cut 
their way through ten thousand Frenchmen, and killed from eight to twelve 
hundred, besides taking three pieces of cannon. 

He married a daughter of Colonel Bclford, niece of the late Sir Adam 
Williamson; and, in 1809 and 1810, organized the Lttsitaniau Legion which 
bo often distinguished itself 



39-2 

Irritated at such weakness of conduct, and fully convinced 
that such reasons were quite insufficient for giving up such an 
important post as Talavera, and thus exposing the combined 
armies to an attack in front and rear at the same time, Sir Arthur 
"wrote immediately to Cuesta; but he had begun his march before 
he received it, and he arrived at Oropesa ou the morning of the 
4th, as if convinced that safety was only practicable under the 
wing of the British army. 

Thus situated, Sir Arthur had only his choice of evils. On 
one view of the question, the enemy, stated to be 30,000 
>troug,but at all events consisting of the corps of Soult and Ney, 
either united, or not very distant from each other, and supposed 
by Marshal Jourdan and Joseph Bonaparte to be sufficiently 
strong to attack the British army, though stated at 25,000, much 
more than its number, were on one side, in possession of the 
highroad to the passage of the Tagus at Alraaras, the bridge at 
which place had, indeed*, been removed, but the boats still re- 
maining on the river. On the other view of the question the 
British general had reason to expect the advance of Victor's 
corps to Talavera as soon as General Cuesta's retreat should be 
known; and even after leaving 12,000 men to watch General 
Yanegas, and allowing from 10 to 11,000 to have been killed 
in the late battle, still would there have remained 25,000 
men. 

From this difficult situation, then, he could only extricate the 
combined armies by great celerity of movement, (to which the 
troops were unequal, as they had not had their allowance of pro- 
visions for several days,) and by their success in two battles; but 
if unsuccessful in either, all retreat would then have been cut off, 
whilst if Soult and Ney had avoided an action, and retired be- 
fore him, waiting the arrival of Victor, then they would have 
been exposed to a general actjon with 50,000 men, and equally 
without a retreat. 

He had also reason to expect that as the Marquis de la Reyna 
could not remove the boats from the river Almaras, they would 
be destroyed by Soult : his only mode of retreat, therefore, was 



193 

by the bridge of Arzobispo ; and if he had moved on, the enemy. 
by breaking that bridge while the army should be engaged 
with Soult and JSTey, would thus have deprived him even of 
that resource. 

At Oropesa he could not take a position, because by that he 
would leave open the road to the bridge of Arzobispo, from Ta- 
lavera by Calera; and, therefore, after considering the whole 
subject maturely, he was of opinion that it was advisable to re- 
tire to the Arzobispo bridge, and there to take up a defensive 
position on the Tagus, considering that the sooner the defensive 
line should be taken up, the more likely the troops would be able 
to defend it ; particularly as the French army when combined 
would, at least, amouut to 62,000. 

On this principle he marched on the 4th of August, and crossed 
the Tagus by the bridge of Arzobispo, continuing his route 
to Deleytosa, in which he considered himself Avell situated to 
defend the passage of the Almaras and the lower parts of the 
Tagus. 

About two thousand of the wounded were brought away by 
the Spaniards from Talavcra, but. fifteen hundred still remained 
there ; and Sir Arthur, though justly offended at the conduct of 
the Spaniards, had nevertheless the liberal candour to acknow- 
ledge that he doubted whether, under any circumstances, it would 
have been possible, or consistent with humanity, to have removed 
them. 

He had therefore only this consolation, that from the treatment 
which some of the soldiers wounded on the the 27th of the pre- 
ceding month, and who had fallen into the hands of the enemy, 
experienced from them, and from the manner in which he him- 
self had always treated the wounded who had fallen into his 
hands, he had reason to expect that these poor fellows Avonld be 
well treated; and also, as he himself very justly and feelingly 
expressed it, that circumstances over which he had, and could 
have no control, had alone placed the army in such a situation 
as to be obliged to leave them behind. 

A few days after this, Sir Arthur Wellesley transmitted a 



letter to the French commander in chief, in which he requested 
his care and attention to the wounded officers and soldiers who 
had fallen into his hands, in return for the care and attention 
which he had invariably paid to those of the French whom he 
had got possession of at different times; he also requested that 
money might be permitted to be sent to the officers, and that 
medical men might be received to take care of the British 
soldiers, &c. 

To this request Marshal Mortier sent a very civil answer, 
promising that every care should be taken, and every atteDtioi* 
paid, to the wounded, but declining any answer to the other points., 
until he should transmit them to the commander in chief. A day 
or two afterwards a British commissary, who had been taken pri- 
soner and allowed to come away, reported that the British officers 
and soldiers were doing remarkably well, and that they were not 
only well fed, and well taken care of, but in fact preferably to the 
French troops! 

Situated as Sir Arthur Wellesley now was, distress through 
want of provisions, and its consequent effects, obliged him to 
move towards the frontiers of Portugal in order to refresh his 
troops, where he had every reason to expect that he might be sup- 
plied with every thing he wanted. 

The succeeding events of this year require but little further 
illustration ; it is sufficient, therefore, to observe, that part of the 
French army, under Se'bastiani tell in, on the 11th of August, 
with General Vanegas, and his Spanish army, at Almonacid, and 
inflicted upon him a total defeat; yet on the eastern coast of 
Spain the French were not so successful, and were particularly 
checked by the destruction of a convoy, destined for Barcelona, 
by the squadron under Lord Collingwood on the 25ih of Oc- 
tober. 

When the intelligence of the battle of Talavera reached this 
country, the admiration of the empire was excited by the gallant 
conduct of the commander in chief, and his brave troops. The 
usual thanks were given by the legislature, and private subscrip- 
tions took place as usual for the wounded, and for the benefit 



195 

of the widows and orphans of those who so gloriously fell on that 
day. 

A mark of royal approbation was also more peculiarly extended 
to Sir Arthur Wellesley, who, on the 26th of August in this 
year, (1809,) was elevated to the dignity of the peerage of the 
united empire, by the title of Viscount Wellington of Talavera 
and of Wellington, and Baron Douroof Wellesley, in the coun- 
ty of Somerset.* 

Lord Wellington, soon after the retreat of his army, suffered 
severely from the fatigues of the campaign; but his health being 
re-established in October, he was about that time appointed by 
the regency captain general of all the forces serving in Portu- 
gal ; and his army was now in excellent order, having all provi- 
sions and stores supplied from Lisbon and Abrantes. 

On the Spanish side the French made themselves masters of 
Hostalrich on the 8th of November; and on the 19th of the 
same month General Arrisaga was attacked aud beaten by Mar- 
shal Soult on the plains of Ocana. 

On the 28th following, the Spaniards under the Due del 
Tarque were also defeated near A!ba de Tormes, by General 
Kellerman; and on the 10th of December Gerona surrendered 
to the French, after having gloriously supported all the hard- 
ships and dangers of a siege for nearly six months. Such was 
the state of affairs at the close of 1809. 

* It is worthy of remark, that the motto of the r anrily of Vellesley is 
" Unica virtus necessaria" — or Virtue alone is necessary ; but Lord Wel- 
lington, having adopted a new motto on Ms creation, " Porro unum ne- 
cessarium"— One thing- more is necessary, his lordship has shown himself 
capable of performing not only that owe thing 1 more, but also of follewing it 
up with aswecessire train of noble deeds. 



196 



SECTION VII. 

Parliamentary thanks to Lord Wellington in 1810 — Debates on that subject — 
Luminous defence and vindication by the Marquis o! Wellesley — Affairs in 
Spain — Invasion of Andalusia — Occupancy of Seville by the French — Se- 
bastiani defeats Arisaga — Siege of Cadiz — Jealousies of the Spanish Junta — 
Negotiations of our ambassador with the Spanish government— Calling of 
the Cortes— Operations in Catalonia — Defeat of General O'Donnelat Vichu 
by Augereau--- Operations in the north— Fall of Astorga — Atrocious pro- 
clamation of Massena — Siege of Ciudad Kodrigo— Distribution of the French 
force — Policy of Lord Wellington — Cantonments of the British army— Ope- 
rations of the armies— Affair at La Conception under Brigadier General 
Crawford— Siege and surrender of Almeida to the French— The British 
army retire, and clear the country — Anecdotes of these events — Topogra- 
phical delineations— Lord Wellington takes post at Busaco— Battle of 
Busaco— Anecdotes and occurrences— Political and military consequences 
of the action— British army retire upon their lines at Torres Vedras — Suf- 
ferings of the Portuguese— Gallant seizure of Coimbra by Colonel Trant— 
French army takes post in front of the British lines— Retreat of Massena--- 
Pursuit of the French army— Judicious arrangements of Lord Wellington 
— Occurrences of the French retreat towards Santarem — British positions 
at Cartaxo, and afterwards at Torres Vedras. 

THE distinguished services of Lord Wellington at Talavera 
had certainly, by a great proportion of the people at home, been 
considered as so highly transcendent as fully to justify the marks 
of royal favour bestowed upon him, and to call for the thanks of the 
legislature. There were, hoAvever, some few individuals who 
still professed to have their doubts; and accordingly when par- 
liament met, and the motion for a vote of thanks was expected, 
Lord Grey, in the house of lords, on the day preceding, express- 
ed his opinion that it was of considerable importance that some 
information should be laid before the house, by which they might 
be enabled to form some opinion with respect to the propriety of 
the motion. It was necessary, he contended, that they should 
know whether the advance of Lord Wellington into Spain was 
the exercise of his own judgment, or the result of the instructions 
of ministers. It was also of importance that they should have 
before them the nature of the information communicated by Lord 



Wellington respecting the action of Talavera ; there being, as he 
said, strong reason to believe that ministers, at the time they held 
out that battle as a victory, knew, from what was stated by Lord 
Wellington in his despatches, that our army must retreat ; and 
that the battle, said to be a victory, must be followed by all the 
consequences of a defeat. He therefore moved for the instruc- 
tions to his lordship ; for the despatches received from him, on 
his marching to Placentia; for the despatches which he sent from 
Talavera after the battle; and also for certain correspondence 
between Lord Wellington and the Spanish government respect- 
ing the supplies for the army. But all these motions were nega- 
tived as totally unnecessary, and also on the ground that there 
was no precedent for calling for papers in order to inquire into the 
general conduct of a campaign, where the only object ia contem- 
plation was a specific vote of thauks for a particular service. 

On the succeeding day Lord Liverpool rose in the house for 
the purpose of moving thanks to Lord Wellington, and the officers 
and men under his command, for the skill and ability, the valour 
and bravery, by which they obtained the glorious victory at 
Talavera. 

The prudence and propriety of his lordship's conduct on this 
occasion was not only honourable to himself, but to Lord Wel- 
lington; for he had framed his^motion so, as he himself said, with 
a view to conciliation, as to separate the conduct of the armb- 
and of the officer commanding from every other subject con- 
nected with the general management of the campaign. 

Whatever opinion might be entertained with respect to the 
measures which led to the battle itself, or to the consequence* 
which ensued, still he contended there could be but one sentiment 
as to the skill of the general, and the valour of his army. In 
tracing the progress of the glorious event, he observed that it had 
been determined on the. part of the French to make a concen- 
trated attack on the combined armies ; that although the Spanish 
army was present, and partial^ engaged in the battle, yet the 
brunt of the attack was principally, if not wholly, borne by the 



198 

English, not amounting to more than 20,000 men, whilst the 
French army tell iittle short of 50,000. 

Yet the enemy, alter repeatedly renewing their attacks, were 
repulsed with the loss of nearly 10,000 men, twenty pieces of 
artillery, and four standards. 

It was of the last importance, he contended, that such victories- 
as that of Talavera should be rewarded by every tribute of 
honour and praise that house could bestow ; for as it had been 
the good fortune of Great Britain to unite a military spirit with 
commercial pursuits, so every encouragement was due still fur- 
ther to promote that spirit. 

Even now, he justly asserted, no achievement was ever more 
entitled to praise than the victory at Talavera ; and as he ad- 
mitted that if their lordships were called upon to decide on all 
the circumstances of the campaign, it might naturally alter the 
question, he wished, therefore, to direct the attention of the house 
solely to the conduct of the officer, aud the army under his com- 
mand, on the 27th and 23th of July, 1809. 

To this the Earl of Suffolk answered, that, as a professional 
man, it was painful to his feelings to state any objections to a mo- 
tion of thanks to Lord Wellington ; but he could not denominate 
that a victory where a retreat immediately followed, and the 
wounded and the prisoners fell immediately into the hands of the 
enemy. Even the capture of artillery, he contended, was not in 
all circumstances to be considered as a signal of victory, as, he said, 
it might have been convenient for the enemy to leave them upon 
the field ! With regard to the reinforcement of 36,000 men, which 
was advancing to support the French, he inquired, why did not 
Lord Wellington know of their situation, and the probability of 
their approach ? It was the duty of every general to have such 
information. 

Considering also the amount of the British force in the Penin- 
sula; and that only so small a portion of it was brought into ac- 
tion at Talavera, he thought that upon this head there was also 
much ground for reprehension, and this conduct appeared to him 
to be in perfect conformity to that of the same general in bring- 



199 

ing up only half his forces to act against the enemy at the battle 
of Vimiera. 

The Earl of Grosvenor was apprehensive that if the house 
were to be called upon to vote thanks for every instance of the 
display of valour, the proceeding would draw after it very in- 
jurious results. If a single detachment, nay, if an individual, had 
exhibited proofs of bravery, their lordships, he said, might be 
called upon to vote away their thanks ; and, as to the battle ot 
Talavera itself, it was one which, jp all its circumstances, did not 
appear to him to be entitled to such a reward. 

After some other observations, Lord Grey rose to show how 
little justice there was in such a vote of thanks. He asserted 
that the battle of Talavera had neither succeeded in attaining the 
general object of the campaign, nor the immediate object, that of 
dispersing the enemy's army. As to the general object of the 
campaign, he considered it to be that of driving the enemy's 
troops before him, and obtaining possession of Madrid, the capital : 
now the French troops in Spain, at that time, occupied a defen- 
sive line of positions from Toledo to Salamanca. On the ad- 
vance of Lord Wellington into Spain, they left their positions and 
concentrated their forces to oppose him. Lord Wellington then 
marched in the direction of Madrid as far as Talavera; where 
he was obliged to stop for want of provisions and the means of 
transport. 1 he battle was fought, and the enemy for the moment 
repulsed. But the general object of the advance iuto Spain was 
lost. The enemy retained possession of the capital, and the Bri- 
tish troops were obliged to retreat. It had been said that Lord 
Wellington had displayed great skill in the dispositions he had 
made for battle. Lord Grey would not agree in that opinion. 
The position on the left had not been sufficiently secured or takes 
advantage of, and there was much also to blame in the conduct of 
Lord Wellington, with respsct to the Spanish troops; certainly 
the despatch of the Spanish general save a very different accoun! 
of the conduct of those troops, from that given in the despatch of 
Lord Wellington. But if Lord Wellington believed the Spanish 
troops to be of such a description that they could not be trusted 



200 

to meet the enemy in a situatiou of such imminent peril at Tala- 
vera; if Lord Wellington held such an opinion of the Spanish 
troops, why did he give the Spanish general the option of defend- 
ing the passes against the advance of the French army under the 
Duke of Dalmatia, which threatened the flank and rear of the 
British, or taking care of our sick and wounded at Talavera? 
Why also had not Lord Wellington better information respect- 
ing the defence of these passes ? Why trust to the intelligence he 
received from the Spaniards* neglecting even the ordinary pre- 
caution of sending an officer of his own to ascertain whether the 
passes were properly defended ? 

To this he added, that his majesty's ministers, at the time 
they trumpeted forth the battle as a splendid and decisive vic- 
tory, were in the possession of Lord Wellington's despatches, in 
which he stated the unfortunate situation of his array, the ne- 
cessity of retreating, and the difficulties ha had to encounter in 
effecting such a retreat. 

We have thus in one view given all the objections which could 
be raised, either against his lordship, or against the ministry, 
by those Avho upon all occasions had disapproved of our engaging 
in the Spanish cause, and who had never spoken of our armies 
in Spain, without prophesying disgrace and disaster. It is but 
common justice, therefore, without adopting the politics of any 
party, to record the manly and lucid vindication of the gallant 
Wellington from one who, both in his relative and official capa- 
city, seemed particularly called on for his support. 

The Marquis of Wellesley, therefore, after apologiziug for his 
private feelings on the present occasion, when he was called upon 
to perform a public duty, by vindicating the character and con- 
duct of so near and dear a relative as a brother, began by pro- 
ceeding to observe that Lord Grey did not seem very clearly 
to understand the object of Lord Wellington's operations. 

On the arrival of his brother in Portugal, he found that the 
enemy was not only in possession of its northern provinces, but 
that a plan had been concerted, by which Victor and Soult were 
to advance from different points into the south. The first object 



201 

therefore, was the deliverance of Portugal. The operation, then, 
by which he expelled Soult was as able, as rapid, and conclusive, 
as any recorded in the page of history. It was therefore unfair, 
as some noble lords had done, to describe such an operation 
merely as an affair with the rear guard of Soult's corps. After 
this, Lord Wellington immediately proceeded to the south to 
oppose Victor, who had actually advanced in that direction, but 
who, on the approach of Lord Wellington, had thought it prudent 
to retreat. What was the situation of Spain, when Lord Wel- 
lington advanced into the country? The supreme central go- 
vernment had been long established, and their authority was 
generally recognised. The part of the country through which 
his march lay abounded in resources of every description, nor 
was it fair to entertain a doubt of the power and disposition of 
the Spanish government to render them available. The joint 
request of the supreme junta and General Cuesta to Lord Wel- 
lington, was, that he would cooperate with the Spanish army in 
driving Victor from the Tagus. It was impossible, therefore, 
for Lord Wellington to refuse his assistance for the attainment 
of this desirable object, as a refusal on his part would have 
argued a supposition that the Spanish government was incompe- 
tent to perform its duty ; and that the country, though full of pro- 
visions, was unwilling to supply them. 

Besides this, it was impossible to answer for the safety of Por- 
tugal, without striking such a blow against Victor as might pre- 
vent him from joining, or cooperating, with Soult, or any 
French corps that might invade that kingdom from the north- 
ward. 

He then stated, in opposition to Lord Grey's surmises, that 
the plan agreed upon between the British and Spanish generals 
was, that the British army, supported by that under Cuesta, 
should move against Victor's corps, and that in the mean time 
Vanegas, by a circuitous route, should threaten Madrid, in order, 
if possible, by this demonstration, to draw off the attention of the 
French corps under Joseph and Sebastiani, and thus prevent 
them from making any movement in conjunction with Victor. 
26 



202 

The due execution of this plan, in all its parts, lie contended, 
was sufficient to justify Lord Wellington in his expectations of 
success; and accordingly he advanced against Victor, then at 
Talavera, on the 22d of July, and soon came in sight of the 
French army, whom he proposed to attack on the following 
morning. 

At this very moment Victor's corps was totally unsupport- 
ed by every other, and consisted of no more than 28,000 
men. If, therefore, the attack upon Victor had been made on 
the 23d, as Lord Wellington proposed, the result must have been 
not only most glorious but most complete. It happened unfortu- 
nately, however, that General Cuesta refused to attack the ene- 
my on that day; but for what reason had never been explained; 
and the consequence was, that Victor retreated, and made his 
escape on the very night of the 23d, and effected a junction with 
Joseph and Sebastiani. 

And even at the very same time, General Vanegas, who 
ought to have been at Arganda on the 22d, was so perplexed 
with orders and counter orders from the junta, that he did 
not arrive there until the 29th, a day after the battle had been 
fought. 

These things were certainly most unfortunate; but, as his lord- 
ship added, against such strange mismanagement what human 
prudence could provide. 

With respect to the political questions connected with our 
assistance afforded to Spain, the marquis perfectly agreed that 
there was a necessity for a radical change in the present modes 
of the Spanish government. It was impossible, however, that 
such a change could be the work of a day; but we were not, 
therefore, to abandon the Spaniards to the mercy of their cruel 
invaders, or to desert them in the crisis of their fortunes. 

With respect, indeed, to the battle of Talavera itself, he 
would say nothing more of it in a military point of view than 
that the British troops had succeeded in repulsing the attack 
of a French army almost double theii own numbers, the 



203 

efforts of which had chiefly been directed against their posi- 
tion. 

But with respect to its consequences, he would boldly maintain 
that this signal defeat had essentially contributed to the main 
objects of the campaign. For, unless that blow had been struck 
against Victor, it would have been impossible to prevent the 
enemy from overrunning the south of Spain, or from making a 
fresh irruption into Portugal. In fact, it had saved the south of 
Spain from absolute destruction. It had afforded time to Portu- 
gal to organize her army, and to strengthen her military posts. 
It had also enabled Lord Wellington to take a position where he 
might derive supplies from Spain at the same time that he drew 
nearer his own magazines— and, upon the whole, the marquis 
did not hesitate to say, that his brother was as justly entitled to 
every distinction that his sovereign had conferred upon him, and 
to every reward and honour which it was in the power of that 
house to bestow, as any noble lord who, for his personal services, 
had obtained the same distinctions, or who sat there by descent 
from his illustrious ancestors. 

After this luminous and liberal exposition, no further opposition 
was made to the motion as far as it regarded Lord Wellington 
and his brave army, though Lord Grenville contended that the 
whole substance of the marquis's speech went to support Lord 
Grey's motion for papers ; and althoughLord Liverpool had decla- 
red that the present question was to be considered only in reference 
to the case precisely in point, yet his lordship still contended 
that the question itself stood on a broader basis, and was in fact 
whether a British army ought to have been risked in an enter- 
prise which depended so much on Spanish cooperation. This 
question was none of his seeking ; but he must say that even a 
victory, if attended with calamitous consequences, did not de- 
serve the thanks of that house. He believed that Lord Wel- 
lington was fettered by the nature of the service in which he 
had been sent, and by his instructions ; and that the plan, 
and its calamitous consequences, ought to be attributed to ml 
nisters. 



204 

Au act of parliament was passed for settling an annuity oi 
2,0001. per aunum, though not without some opposition in both 
houses of the legislature; and even on the 20th of February, 
the day appointed for the second reading of the bill, so stroDg 
was the voice of party that a petition was actually presented from 
the city of London against it. These exertions, however, failed 
in their effect, and the general voice of the nation hailed the 
annuity as a just reward to him who was risking life, and spend- 
ing fortune, in the service of his country. 

The disasters on the part of the Spanish arms, at the close of 
1809, had induced the supreme junta to undertake more stre- 
nuous measures for the purpose of saving the south of Spain, a? 
the French grand army, which was concentrated in December, 
1 P.09, in the territory between Madrid and Toledo, was, about the 
middle of January, drawiug near to the Sierra Morena. In con- 
sequence of this, the Spaniards selected the best positions in the 
Sierra for defence, formed entrenchments, erected batteries, in- 
tersected the roads by deep cuts in some places, and constructed 
mines for blowing them up in others. This, however, was not 
sufficient, as artificial defences merely added to natural ones, 
and on so extended a line as that presented by the Sierra 
Morena, can be of fcut little avail if not defended by determined 
hearts and active hands; as a large army by its resources wilt 
ahvays be able to open other roads, or, if not, to overcome these 
difficulties when the passes are not defended. 

It is not surprising, therefore, that the French army, on the 
20th and 21st of January, both cavalry and infantry, forced 
iheir way through the mountains, by the common passes, though 
they found it necessary to adopt a more circuitous route for 
their heavy artillery. In fact, the Spanish force appointed for 
the defence of the passes made scarcely any resistance, and tin- 
French drove them from their entrenchments with the bayonet ; 
whilst the intersections of the roads, and the difficulties occasion- 
ed by the mines, did cot present the slightest stoppage to their 
progress. A great proportion of the Spanish force were takes 
prisoners, and the remainder dispersed, eveiy warlike si 



205 

and ammunition falling into the hands of the enemy, who im- 
mediately directed their march to Cordova and Seville, which, 
with the greatest part of Andalusia, yielded without resist- 
ance. 

A force under Sebastiani was next sent towards Grenada, 
which also fell, after some slight resistance from the Spanish troops 
under Arrisaga. Grenada was now fortified, and Sebastiani pro- 
ceeded against Malaga, where a number of priests and monks 
had been employed night and day in preaching a crusade against 
the French infidels. The inhabitants of Malaga and its vicinity, 
a country peculiarly mountainous, had taken up arms, and a 
capuchin friar was appointed general. All the officers too, were 
monks, and the effect of religion, added to patriotism, had given 
the business rather an alarming appearance to the French, par- 
ticularly as six thousand men had seized the great pass into the 
mountains, and deep trenches were cut for securing the roads 
leading to it from the plain. 

Sebastiani having set out with the advanced guard of his army 
from Antequera on the 5th of February, soon drove the patriots 
from their fortresses in the mountains to Malaga ; but there they' 
rallied in a great but disorderly mass, having with them a large 
train of artillery and a detachment of cavalry. With the most 
undaunted courage and obstinate valour they with stood the mus- 
ketry and artillery of the whole French army for a considerable 
time; but at length a charge of cavalry overpowered them, and 
they fled leaving fifteen hundred dead on the field of battle ; 
the French entered the city with the fugitives, who kept up the 
contest for a few moments from the windows of houses and at the 
crossings of streets, but at length were forced to desist. 

The intrusive king had already made his entry into Seville : 
and the possession of Malaga, added to the other acquisitions of 
this early campaign, made the French consider themselves as 
masters of the whole kingdom. In fact, with the exception of 
Cadiz, whither the supreme junta had retired, there was no place 
which could offer the least resistance in the centre or south of 



206 

the kingdom, though the flame of patriotism was still burning on 
the eastern coast, and in Catalonia. 

Even Cadiz and the Isle of Leon were incapable of defence, 
and must immediately have fallen without the aid of an English 
army ; yet some unreasonable jealousy on the part of the Spa- 
niards threw numerous obstacles in the way of our affording them 
that assistance which we were most capable of doing. Even the 
junta themselves, when in Cadiz, objected to the stay of the troops 
under General Sherbrooke, who were waiting to disembark at that 
place, but expressed a wish that they might be sent to Catalonia, 
and were even absurd enough to require that the British force 
should be broken into small detachments, to be attached to the 
Spanish corps in different parts of the Peninsula. And even 
when they consented to the admission of two British regiments 
into Cadiz, it was only on a solemn promise that they should not 
remain within the walls of the fortress, and accordingly they were 
quartered at Isla, a large town, or suburb to Cadiz, in the Isle de 
Leon. 

On this occasion Mr. Frere, our ambassador, urged the neces- 
' sity of our possessing some strong post, as a naval point, where re- 
inforcements could be sent, and from which a retreat might take 
place if necessary; and he stated to them, that if unfortunately 
the Spanish government should persist in their refusal, still' they 
would not be complained of, or reproached, by England, though 
at the same time he was forced to say, that if Spain should still 
remain insensible to what appeared to be so greatly conducive to 
its own interest, as well as essential to the interests of an English 
army in Spain, his Britaunic majesty would be obliged to with- 
draw for the present, and leave the contest between Spain and 
France to the sole military efforts and means of the Spaniards 
themselves. Still he promised that his majesty would remain 
faithful to his engagements; and he pointed out to them that Por- 
tugal had not hesitated, nor made the smallest objection to the 
admission of an English force, so that a considerable army was at 
that very moment in possession of its priucipal fortresses, and 
of a convenient port for all accessary purposes ; and he further 



20? 

pointed out to them, that as the British army, with the assistance 
of the Portuguese, might now be able not only to protect Portugal, 
but in favourable times and places to cover the adjacent provinces 
of Spain, so it would be proper, and indeed necessary, that there 
should be every facility afforded to the British troops wherever 
they might be engaged in the great and general cause. 

The temporising conduct of the central junta had already given 
great uneasiness to Lord Wellington, who, from all that he had 
seen of their proceedings, had great reason to fear that in the dis- 
tribution of the forces, as well as of the different civil and military 
officers, they paid less regard to the military defence of the coun- 
try, and the important operations of the campaign, than to mise- 
rable intrigues and political objects of very trifling import. 

The whole conduct of this junta was, indeed, so childish and 
absurd, not to say treacherous, that it is not surprising a wish 
should arise to deprive them of all power, which, however, they 
were very unwilling to quit the possession of; and so anxious did 
they seem for its retention, to the exclusion of every other con- 
sideration, that it was observed they proceeded with the most 
studied procrastination in the measures preparatory to the calling 
a general cortes of the whole Spanish nation. 

This important measure, however, took place in March, 1810, 
in opposition to all the intrigues of the interested members of the 
junta, who at last became such objects, not only of hatred and 
aversion, but even of contempt and derision, that they were ac- 
tually afraid to appear in the daytime in the streets of Cadiz, 
dreading the indignation of an insulted people. 

The siege of Cadiz had before this been commenced by the 
French ; for on the 6th of February the hostile army had com- 
menced their blockade by occupying all the laud side, with the 
towns and posts of St. Lucar, Rota, Port St. Mary's, Medina 
Sidonia, &c. At first the siege was conducted by Joseph Bona- 
parte himself, he having his head-quarters at St. Mary's, a small 
town on the northern side of the bay, opposite to Cadiz, and from 
whence that city, for want of springs in the Isle de Leon, had 
always been supplied with water ; fortunately, however, a pretty 



208 

good spriug Was afterwards discovered at Cadi/, which supplied 
this deficiency. py 

At this period the French force amounted to about 50,000 men, 
and the garrison of Cadiz was not more than about 20,000, of 
which 4,000 were English, with 1,700 Portuguese. The En- 
glish and Portuguese, however, were quartered in the Isle de Leon, 
under the command of Major General Graham ; here also was 
the Spanish army under the Duke of Albuquerque, whilst Cadiz 
itself was garrisoned by volunteers aud the new levies. Indeed, 
whilst the English fleet possessed the bay of Cadiz, there was no 
danger to be apprehended for that city on any side except that 
of the Isle de Leon. 

The further progress of the siege it is unnecessary to detail, 
particularly as even, in the early part of the year, the operations 
of the English army and the allies were not solely confined to 
the defence of Cadiz ; and it was a part of our general plan to 
act also on the offensive, by rousing, encouraging, and aiding the 
natives in a resistance to their invaders. 

In the south, in particular, much was done by General Lacey, 
who, having disembarked at Algesiras with a small force of 5,000 
men, had it augmented so much in a few days as to amount to 
12,000. Tn fact, all the inhabitants of the mountainous district, 
in the south of Andalusia, rose as if by common consent, aud all 
the arms found at Honda, which had been evacuated by the 
French, were distributed among them. The business now be- 
came very harassing to the French, who, calling these rude sons 
of liberty insurge?its, had marched several parties against them, 
a murderous warfare being carried on by both sides. The 
Spaniards were, indeed, at last obliged to retreat; but though 
these mountaineers were defeated in several actions, still they 
were not conquei'ed. In fact, every British officer who had 
opportunities of seeing these Spanish mountaineers, agreed in 
their description of the ferocious and savage appearance and air 
of these Alpujarese, or natives of the Alpujarra range. Every 
day they were bringing prisoners into G ibraltar, with the spoils 
of the Frenchmen they had killed, consisting of horses, helmets. 



209 

Uniforms, &c. and, indeed, many of themselves became completely 
metamorphosed, throwing off their ancient dress of sheep skin-;, 
and accoutring themselves in French habiliments. 

Oa the Catalonian side of Spain great hopes had been enter 
tained that the patriotic exertions of the people would have been 
crowned with success ; but unfortunately, on the 20th of Febru- 
ary, Marshal Augereau so completely defeated General O'Don 
nel in the neighbourhood of Vich, in Catalonia, that all the efforts 
of the patriots, in that quarter, were for some time paralyzed. 

It is time now to look at the operations of the French army 
in the north of Spain, and of the army of Portugal, as it was 
called ; as these operations led to the glorious repulse at Busaco, 
the principal feature of Lord Wellington's campaign in the year 
1810. 

Early in the year a corps under the command of Junot laid 
siege to Astorga, and held other places in subjection by a judi 
cious distribution of garrisons ; Avhilst a strong division, under Ge- 
neral Bonnet, took possession of Oviedo, the capital, extended 
itself over the whole province of Asturias, and even threatened 
to penetrate into Gallicia. The guerillas, indeed, kept up a 
constant warfare against the latter general; but still he was 
strong enough to have advanced into Gallicia, had he not re- 
ceived orders to wait in his then positions until further successes 
should justify his advance. 

About the beginning of March the French corps under the 
command of Marshal Ney, that under Loison, as well as the di- 
vision of Kellerman, were in Old Castile, and in positions on the 
Tormes, with their advanced posts on the Agueda; whilst th<; 
advanced posts of the British army, under Brigadier Genera! 
Crawford, were likewise on the latter river, and between Agueda 
and the Coa. 

On the 12th of April Astorga fell, when 3,500 Spaniards; 

with English firelocks and wearing English clothes, laid down 

their arms and were conducted to Barrize. and from thence into 

France. The whole number of prisoners taker? were, hewever 

27 



210 

about 6,000, (besides 1,500 killed during the siege,) and there 
were also twenty pieces of cannon captured. 

Some jealousies at this period seem to have existed between 
the French generals ; for it is said that Marshal Ney, who was 
then investing Ciudad Rodrigo, had a considerable degree of ap- 
prehension that General Junot, between whom and himself there 
■was some misunderstanding, would not cooperate with him for the 
reduction of the city, with all the cordiality and promptitude 
which the circumstance demanded : but Junot, notwithstanding, 
joined him after the capture .of Astorga, and in the mean time 
Marshal Massena set out from Paris in order to take the com- 
mand of the army appointed for the conquest of Portugal, forming 
a force of 80,000 men. 

The siege of Ciudad Rodrigo had long been retarded and ob' 
structed by heavy rains, bad roads, and the difficulties in the 
way of the transportation of stores and provisions, considerably 
increased by Lord Wellington with the allied army being in its 
vicinity ; but at length the French trenches were opened on the 
15th of June, just as Massena had arrived to take the command 
of the army. 

Situated as Lord Wellington was, he could not with propriety 
advance for its relief; his manoeuvres being strictly defensive, 
and bis army totally unable to cope with that of Massena a& 
assailants, though his superior skill, and the energy of his troops, 
soon after enabled him to choose and to defend the position of 
Busaco, with additional honour to the British arms. 

In consequence the city was completely invested by a body of 
troops under Ney on the right bank of the Agueda, and by 
auother under Junot on the left ; whilst a detachment was sent 
from the latter corps towards St. Felix to watch and check 
the motions of the allies, and to coyer the operations of the 
siege. 

In the morning of the 25th of June, forty-six pieces of heavy 
artillery were opened at once upon this ill-fated city, soon 
proving-too heavy for the Spanish fire, though the garrison, who 
weie well supplied with artillery, served their batteries ex<- 



211 

tremely -well, and poured such a shower of shot and shells upon 
the assailants that, in order to cover their advances, they found 
it necessary to attack two convents, which were not easily given 
up, but taken and retaken several times, uutil at last they 
were partly burnt, after which the French were able to retain 
them. 

Though possession was obtained soon after of the suburbs of 
St. Francis, yet it was not without obstinate resistance; and 
though on the 28th the works were so much damaged that the 
French sent in a summons, yet both the garrison and inhabitants, 
roused by the monks to the highest pitch of religious enthusiasm, 
appeared determined to resist to the last extremity. But a breach 
was at length made on the 9th of July, when the explosion of a 
mine unfortunately threw the whole counterscarp into the ditch 
below the breach, then about eighteen fathoms in width; and on 
the 10th in the evening, the whole French army advancing to the 
assault, the garrison was obliged to surrender at discretion. Even 
the French were struck with the appearance of desolation and 
ruin which was seen on all sides; indeed, scarcely a house was 
to be met with that was entire, or exempt from some marks of the 
horrors of the siege. Upwards of 2,000 lost their lives, and the 
remainder of the garrison, to the number of 7,000, were obliged 
to deposite their arms in the arsenal, where the French found 125 
pieces of cannou, mostly bronze, Avith 200,000 pounds weight 
of powder, and more than one million of musket cartridges, as 
stated by Massena in his despatches. 

After the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, parties of reconnoissance 
were sent out from the French to examine the positions of Lord 
Wellington's army, whose advanced posts now fell back upon 
the main, body, as absolute offensive operations were not to be 
undertaken against a force so numerous as that of the invading 
army, which consisted of nearly 110,000 men, accordins to the 
French account, which, if true, adds more to the fame of his 
lordship in having kept at bay such an overwhelming force, and 
obliging them at last to retreat. 
The distribution of this force will serve to elucidate the im- 



212 

portani events now about to take place. General Loisou with 
15,000 men invested Almeida, whilst the remainder of Key's 
corps, about 10,000, were at Fort de la Conception. About 
three miles N. W. from Ciudad Rodrigo, at St. Felix, was Junot 
with 25,000 men, whilst a force to the same amount was in 
Ciudad Rodrigo, and its immediate vicinity. These three corps 
were within two days' march of the allied army, and some part 
of them not more than seven or eight miles distant, whilst Mas- 
sena, the commander in chief, was at Valdemula, a village near 
Ciudad Rodrigo, which a few weeks before had been occupied 
by Lord Wellington. Kellerman was on the north of Portugal, 
and threatened Oporto with 12,000 men; and Regnier menaced 
Alentejo in the south with about 18,000; whilst the remaining 
small divisions occupied such posts as were most convenient for 
procuring forage, &c. 

With such an overwhelming force, it is not surprising that Mas- 
Sena and his imperial master should have considered the con- 
quest of Portugal as certain ; yet even such a force, we shall now 
see, was baffled by the superior skill and address of the British 
general, whose defensive conduct in this situation seems more 
worthy of admiration than even his most brilliant victories. 

It may be necessary to premise, without going very far back, 
that ever since the retreat after the battle of Talavera, in the 
preceding year, the plan of Lord Wellington had been to avoid 
any further active cooperation with the Spanish army until it 
was better organized; but at the same time he resolved not to 
retire from Spain, unless obliged by absolute necessity. Should 
that even be the case, still he determined, if possible, to make a 
stand on the Portuguese frontier, where his army would be as 
serviceable to the cause of Spain as if actually in that country ; 
and, accordingly, he took post between Merida and Badajoz for 
some time, until he found it necessary to retire for the defence of 
Portugal. 

In the early part of the present year (1810) the British army 
ivas principally about Lisbon, and on the north side of the Tagus, 
when, having gained a fresh stock of health, by good quarters,. 



213 

they were able, in February, to occupy an extended line from 
Santarem on the Tagus to Oporto on the Douro, including La- 
mego, Viseu, Coimbra, and Abrantes, having been joined by the 
Portuguese troops so ably disciplined by the gallant and inde- 
fatigable Marshal Beresford : whilst General Hill was in advance 
with a considerable body of cavalry, on the banks of the Guadi- 
ana, iD order to check the approach of the enemy, who had ap- 
peared before Badajoz. 

During the operations of the French against Ciudad Rodrigo, 
the British and allied array was cantoned in five distinct bodies ; 
one was at Celorico, consisting of about 6,000 men under General 
Spencer ; General Hill had 8,000 between the Tagus and the 
Guadiana; General Cole had about 10,000 at Guarda, which 
was the principal post; at Pinhel General PictOn lay with 
4,000; and General Crawford was stationed in advance, between 
Guarda and the French army. 

On the 4th of July the enemy passed the Agueda in force, 
and obliged Brigadier General Crawford to fall back with bis 
advanced guard to the neighbourhood of the fort of La Concep- 
tion, which had previously been occupied by a part of the third 
division of infantry. 

In this movement, however, the enemy were not allowed to act 
quietly ; but were annoyed by repeated skirmishing with con- 
siderable effect by the 1st hussars, and by the 3d battalion of Por- 
tuguese chasseurs, who, under the command of Lieutenant Colo- 
nel Elder, displayed great steadiness in frequent rencontres with 
the French. 

Whilst the enemy were in such force, Lord Wellington could 
only watch their movements, and that so closely that frequent 
skirmishes took place between the piquets of the two armies. 

The advanced posts of the British army under Brigadier Ge- 
neral Crawford remained in the villages, near the fort of La 
Conception, until the 21st of July, when the advance of the 
enemy in force obliged the cavalry to retire towards Almeida*, 
and the fort of La Conception was consequently destroyed. 

From the 21st until the 24th, General Crawford still continued 



214 

to occupy his main position (in advance of the British army 
then at Alverca) near Almeida, with his left within eight hun- 
dred yards of the fort, and his right extending towards Junca. 
But the enemy attacking him on the 24th, shortly after daylight, 
with a very large body of cavalry and infantry, he was obliged 
to retire across the bridge over the Coa. In this point of retreat 
the troops suffered much ; but, though the enemy made three 
efforts to storm the bridge, they were repulsed n them all. 

The retreat of the British advance enabled the enemy to open 
their fire upon Almeida, late on Saturday night, or ear!y on Sun- 
day morning of the 26th of July, and the place was surrendered 
in the course of the night of the 27th. 

Lord Wellington seems to have been disappointed by the speedy 
fall of this place; for in his public despatch' s he expressed not ' 
only his regret, but his inability to account for so trifling a de- 
fence. An explosion in the town had, indeed, been heard at the 
advanced posts during the course of the day on the 27th, and it 
was observed that the steeple of the church was destroyed, a-id 
many houses unroofed by the bombardment; but although a tele- 
graphic communication had been established with the governor, 
yet the weather not permitting it to be used during the Sunday, 
and the greatest part of the next day, Lord Wellington, on its 
clearing up, had the mortification to see that the besieged and 
the assailants were in communication. As soon as he was cert iin 
of the fall of the place, he moved the infantry of the British 
army again into the valley of the Mondego, keeping a division 
upon Guarda, and the outposts of the cavalry at Alverca. 

In the morning of the 21st of August, the enemy attacked 
the British piquets twice, but feebly, and were immediately re- 
pulsed ; yet in the afternoon they obliged Sir Stapleton Cotton 
to draw in his posts from beyond Fraxedas. 

Lord Wellington now discovered Massena's plan, which was 
gradually unfolding itself. He seemed determined to turn the 
left of the allied army; but Lord Wellington, to check him, 
retired through the valley of Mondego, when Massena, adopting 
& new route, threw himself in the road which leads from Viseu to 



215 

Coimbra, in hopes of getting possession of the resources jwesented 
by that city and its vicinity, and thence to proceed to Lisbon. 
Lord Wellington immediately determined to cover Coimbra; 
not with the intention of maintaining that post, but in order to 
give the inhabitants time to retire with their effects. 

Though Massena had concentrated the greatest part of his 
forces at Viseu ou the 21st of September, yet a halt of three days 
was absolutely necessary iu order to give time for the bringing up 
the baggage and the artillery; and it was during these three 
days that Lord Wellington was enabled to execute the judicious 
and brilliant manoeuvre of passing from the left to the right of 
the Mondego, and then taking up his position on the Sierra 
de Busaco. At that period the head-quarters of the British 
army were at Celorico ; but Lord Wellington found it prudent to 
retire towards Viseu, on which the French army under Massena 
continued to advance from Celorico upon the latter position. 
During these operations, the different corps of Portuguese mi- 
litia, and ordenanza, were employed upon his flanks and rear, 
and Colonel Trant with his division attacked the escort of the 
military chest and reserve artillery near Toj?.l on the 20th of 
September. Iu this affair Colonel Trant succeeded so far as to 
take about one huudred prisoners ; but the enemy collected p. 
force from his front and rear, which obliged the colonel to retire 
towards the Douro. Notwithstanding this, the exertions of the 
different detached corps were so great, that Lord A'V'ellington felt 
himself justified iu saying that the enemy's communication with 
Almeida, in his rear, was not only cut off, but that he possessed 
only the ground on which his army stood. 

In this juncture, Lord Wellington found it necessary, about the 
middle of September, to adopt measures to collect his army in 
the vicinity of Coimbra, and, if possible, to prevent the enemy 
from^gettiug possession of that town. 

Whilst employed in perfecting this manoeuvre, the enemy's 
advanced guard, on the 21st, pushed on to St. Cambadao at the 
junction of the rivers Criz and Dao; and Brigadier General 
Pack retired across the former, and joined Brigadier General 



Crawford at Martagoa, liaving destroyed the bridges over those 
two rivers. 

The enemy's advanced guard crossed the Criz, having repair- 
ed the bridge on the 23d ; and the whole of the 6th corps was 
collected oo the other side of the river ; on which his lordship 
withdrew the cavalry through the Sierra de Busaco, with the ex- 
ception of three squadrons, as the ground was unfavourable for 
the operations of that species of force. 

On the 25th the whole of the 6th and of the 2d corps of the 
enemy crossed the Criz, in the neighbourhood of St. Cambadao ; 
and Brigadier General Crawford's division and Brigadier General 
Pack's brigade retired to the position which had been fixed upon 
for the army on the top of Sierra de Busaco. These troops were 
followed in this movement by the whole of the corps of Ney and 
Regnier, but the manoeuvre was conducted by Brigadier General 
Crawford with great regularity, and the troops took their position 
without sustaining any loss of importance. 

The 4th Portuguese Cacadores, which had retired on the right 
of the other troops, and the piquets of the 3d division of infantry, 
which were posted at San Antonio de Cantaro, under Major 
Smith of the 45th, were engaged with the advance of Regnier's 
corps in the afternoon of the 25th ; in which affair the Cacadores 
gained great credit for their steadiness and gallantry.* 

As the enemy's whole army was on the ridge of the Mondego, 

* To understand thoroughly the subsequent occurrences connected with the 
brilliant affair of Busaco, it is necessary to premise that the Sierra de Bu- 
saco is a lofty ridge of mountains extending from the Mondego about eight 
miles in a northerly direction. At the highest point of the ridge, about two 
miles from the termination, are the convent and garden of Busaco. This 
sierra is connected by a mountainous tract of country with the Sierra de Ca- 
ramula, which extends in a northeasterly direction beyond Viseu, and separates' 
the valley of the Mondego from the valley of the Douro, on the left of the Mon« 
dego. Nearly in a line with the Sierra de Busaco is another ridge of the same 
description, which is called the Sierra de Marcella, covered by the river Alva^ 
and connected by other mountainous tracts with the Sierra d'Estrella. 

All the roads to Coimbra from the eastward lead over one or other of 
these sierras; and they are very d : fficult for the passage of an army; the 
approach to the top of the ridge on both sides being very mountainous 



217 

and as it was evident that he intended to' force the British posi- 
tion, Lieutenant General Hill crossed that river, by a short move- 
ment to his left, on the morning of the 26th, leaving Colonel Le 
Cor Avith his brigade in the Sierra de Marcella to cover the right 
of the army ; and Major General Fane with his division of Portu- 
guese cavalry, and the 13th light dragoons in front of the Alva, 
to observe and check the movements of the enemy's cavalry on 
the Mondego. 

With this exception, the whole British army was collected up- 
on the Sierra de Busaco, with the cavalry observing the plain in 
the rear of its left, and also the road leading from Martagoa to 
Oporto, through the mountainous tract which connects the Sierra 
de Busaco with the Sierra de Caramula. 

The eighth corps joined the enemy in front on the 26th, but 
did not make any serious attack on that day ; however, the light 
troops on both sides were engaged throughout the line. 

But on the 27th the grand attack was made ; for, at six in 
the morning of that day, the enemy commenced two desperate 
assaults on the British position ; one on the right, the other on 
the left, of the highest point of the sierra. 

The attack on the right was made by two divisions of the 2d 
corps, on that part of the sierra occupied by the 3d division of in- 
fantry. One division of French infantry arrived at the top of 
the ridge, when it was attacked in the most gallant manner by 
the 88th regiment under the command of the honourable Lieu* 
tenant Colonel Wallace, and the 45th regiment under the com- 
mand of the honourable Lieutenant Colonel Meade, and by the 
8th Portuguese regiment under the command of Lieutenant Co- 
lonel Douglas, directed by Major General Picton. 

These three corps advanced with the bayonet, and drove the 
enemy's division from the advantageous ground which they had 
obtained. 

The other division of the 2d corps attacked further on the 

right, by the road leading from St. Antonio de Cantaro, also in 

front of Major General Pictou's division. This division of the. 

assailants was repulsed before it could re?ch the top of the ridge, 

28 



218 

by the 74th regiment under the command of the honourable 
Lieutenant Colonel French, and the brigade of Portuguese infan- 
try under the command of Colonel Champelmont, directed by 
Colonel Mackinuon. 

Major General Lcith* almost moved to his left, to the support 
of Major General Picton, and aided in the defeat of the enemy 
on this post, with the 3d battalion of the royals, and the 1st and 
id battalions of the 33th regiment. 

On the left the enemy attacked, with three divisions of infan- 
try of the 6th corps, that part of the sierra occupied by the left 
division commanded by Brigadier General Crawford, and by the 
brigade of Portuguese infantry commanded by Brigadier General 
Pack. One division of infantry only made any progress toward? 
the top of the hill, and they were immediately charged with the 
bayonet by Brigadier General Crawford with the 48th, 52d, and 
95th regiments, and the 3d Portuguese Ca<;adores, and driven 
down with immense loss. 

Brigadier General Clement's brigade of Portuguese infantry, 
which was in reserve, was now moved up to support the right of 
Brigadier General Crawford's division; and a battalion of the 
19th Portuguese regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Macbean, 
•made a most gallant and successful charge upon a body of another 
division of the enemy, which was endeavouring to penetrate in 
that quarter. 

Besides these general attacks, the light troops of the two armies 
were engaged throughout the whole of the 27th. 

In the evening of the 27th the enemy were beaten on all 

* General Leith has been particularly noticed in the army for a singular 
i Tcumstance. When a very young officer, he was engaged in some expedi- 
tion in India, where he was badly wounded, nay, left for dead, on the troops 
being forced to re-embark, but was observed by a soldier who returned through 
the surf, and carried him "IF from the beaoh, just as the last boat was pushing 
oft". Several years afterwards, when the general commanded in Dublin, he 
saw an aged man in distressed circumstances, whose face he thought he recol- 
lected, and on inquiry found it to be the very man who had saved his life ! 

Gratitude, aided by generosity, immediately provided for the veteran. 



219 

sides; and his loss of officers and men was enormous. The 
generals of division, Merle and Maucere were wounded, Gene- 
ral Simon was taken prisoner by the 52d regiment, along with 
three colonels, thirty-three other officers, and two hundred and 
fifty men. The assailants left 2,000 dead upon the field of battle, 
and their loss in wounded was stated both by prisoners an& 
deserters to be immense. 

So signal was the defeat, so severe the lesson taught, that the 
enemy did not attempt to renew his attack on the succeeding day, 
except by some slight skirmishing with his light troops ; but he 
was seen to move a large body of infantry and cavalry from the 
left of his centre to the rear, from whence his cavalry was ob- 
served to march in the road which leads from Martagoa over 
the mountains towards Oporto. 

Lord Wellington having thought it probable that he would 
endeavour to turn the left of the British by that road, had 
directed Colonel Trant, with his division of militia, to march 
to Sardao, with the intention that he should occupy those moun- 
tains ; but, unfortunately, he was sent round to Oporto by the 
general officer commanding in the north, in consequence of a 
small detachment of the enemy being in possession of St. Pedro 
de Sul ; and, notwithstanding the efforts which" he made to arrive 
in time, he did not reach Sardao till the 28th at night, after the 
enemy was in possession of the ground. 

As his lordship judged it probable that in the course of the 
night of the 28th the enemy would throw his whole army upon 
that road, by which he could avoid the Sierra de Busaco, and 
reach Coimbra by the high road to Oporto, and thus the British 
army would have been exposed to be cut off from that town, or 
to a general action on less favourable ground; and as he also con- 
sidered that he had reinforcements in his rear, he was induced 
to withdraw from the Sierra de Busaco towards Coimbra. 

As Lord Wellington expected, Massena did break up in the 
mountains at eleven at night of the 28th, and he made the march 
to the left of the range of mountains, certainly in spite of any 
opposition that could be thrown in his way, owing principally to 



220 

the unfortunate circumstance of the delay of Colonel Tranfss 
arrival at Sardao. 

In consequence of this, although Lord Wellington did not 
absolutely succeed in effecting those objects -which he had in 
view in passing the Mondego, and in occupying the Sierra de 
Busaco, yet he did not regret his having done so. In fact, he 
considered this movement as affording him a favourable opportu- 
nity of showing the enemy the description of troops of which 
his army was composed ; he also was pleased with the opportu- 
nity of thus bringing the Portuguese levies into action with the 
enemy for the first time, in an advantageous situation ; and in- 
deed he confessed that they had proved that the trouble which 
had been taken with them had not been thrown away, and that 
they were even then worthy of contending in the same ranks 
with British troops, in that interesting cause which he consider- 
ed them as affording the best hopes of saving. 

To show that his lordship's expectations were correct, and 
that his warm praise of the conduct of the British troops was 
well founded, it is only necessary to examine the state of the 
losses of the allied army during the gallant affair of Busaco, 
when compared with those of the enemy. 

The sum total was of the British, 1 major, 4 other officers, 
and 102 sergeants and rank and file killed; 3 lieutenant colonels, 
5 majors, 27 other officers, and 458 sergeants and rank and file 
wounded; with 1 captain, 1 sergeant, and 29 rank and file 
missiDg. 

Of the Portuguese, the loss amounted to 4 captains, 2 subal- 
terns, and 84 rank and file killed; 1 colonel, 1 major, 5 captains, 
18 subalterns, 9 sergeants, and 478 rank and file wounded; and 
20 missing. 

A loss equal to that of the British, and proving that they had 
been as warmly engaged.* 

* In speaking of the Portuguese discipline, we must not omit to mention 
the due pra.se given by lord Wellington to Marshal Beresford. To him 
exclusively, under the Portuguese government, he considered solely due the 



221 

Lord Wellington proudly boasted in his public despatches 
that throughout the contest upon the sierra, and in all the pre- 
vious marches, his array had conducted itself in the most regu- 
lar manner. Accordingly, all the operations were performed 
with ease, the soldiers suffered no privations, and underwent no 
unnecessary fatigue ; there was no loss of stores, and the whole 
body of troops were in the highest spirits. Some days after the 
action it was ascertained that Massena's advanced post was at 
Avelans, in the road from Oporto to Coimbra ; and on the 29th 
of September the whole of his army was seen in march through 
the mountains ; whilst at the same date, or the day following, the 
British and Portuguese allied troops were already iu the low 
country between the Sierra de Busaco and the sea; and the 
whole of it, with the exception of the advanced guard, were ob 
the 30th of that month on the left of the Mondego. 

Ou the 20th of October the whole allied army were at Pero 
Negro ; but previous to that, in the early part of the month, the 
enemy were principally employed in reconnoitring the position 
of the British troops, and in strengthening their own posts. Iu 
effecting the former object they had on several occasions skir- 
mished with the outposts, who in every instance conducted them- 
selves extremely well. 

When Lord Wellington determined to return to Torres 
Vedras, where he occupied the French army until they were 
forced to retreat, he determined to clear the country of every 
thing, of which Massena complained loudly, saying, " The ene- 
my burns and destroys every thing as he evacuates the coun- 
try. He forces the inhabitants to abandon their homes under 
pain of death. Coimbra, a town of 20,000 inhabitants, is de- 
serted. We find no provisions. The army is subsisted on In- 
dian corn, and vegetables, which we found remaining on the 
ground." 

merit of having raised, formed, disciplined, and equipped, the Portuguese 
army, which had thus shown itself capable of engaging, and assisting in the 
defeat of the enemy. 



It is indeed very true that every soul in Coimbra fled, leaving 
it literally a desert : for the order of the Portuguese regency 
was positive for all to leave their houses, carry off all their 
goods, or destroy them, aud leave nothing for the enemy. The 
Lisbon road was blocked up with wagons, carts, mules, horses, 
and bullocks ; mothers, their eyes streaming with tears, carrying 
their screaming infants ; young women of genteel condition, also 
in tears, on foot, and separated in the crowd from their families; 
men with heavy hearts but in silent sorrow, and every thing 
wearing an air of trouble aud confusion. All the roads from St. 
Thomar, and the other neighbouring towns, to Lisbon, were in 
like manner full of men, women, and children, with what effects 
they could bring along with them. 

Yet, dreadful as the scene was, we must recollect that their 
sufferings on the approach of the trench army, if they had 
remained, would have been infinitely worse: and as their dis- 
tress was partly incurred in the general caus of the Portuguese 
nation ; so the government, as well as private families in Lisbon, 
did all they could to alleviate it. An asylum was found for all j 
lodgings and food were procured, and every thing done which 
could afford relief ; whilst the British house of commons voted 
100,0001. for their relief, to which was added an equal sum from 
private contribution. 

In this position of the British army, on the navigable part of 
the.Tagus, the communication, in a military point of view, was 
now opened with the British fleet laying in that river ; and 
accordingly the gun-boats, which Admiral Berkeley had placed 
under the command of his nephew, Lieutenant Berkeley, had 
supported the right of the army near Alhandra, and having been 
several times eugaged with the enemy's reconnoitring parties, had 
proved of great service. 

Though, in consequence of the retrograde movement of the 
British army after the affair of Busaco, the enemy had been 
enabled to take possession of Coimbra, yet he was not permitted 
to hold it long; for v olouel Trant having arrived near that 
place with his detachment on the 7th of October, he imme» 



223 

diately attacked the outposts, -which he cut off from the towo ; 
and then pushing in, took possession of it. The resistance made 
by the enemy did not last long, and the colonel took eighty offi- 
cers and five thousand men (principally sick and wounded) pri- 
soners. 

On the following day Brigadier General Miller and Colonel 
Wilson arrived at Coimbra with their detachments ; and between 
that and the 20th they took about three hundred and fifty pri- 
soners, being soldiers who had straggled from their regiments on 
the enemy's march, as they themselves stated, in search of food. 

That the enemy at this period must have been suffering ex- 
tremely is also evident from another fact, that a detachment 
from the garrison of Peniche, sent out by Brigadier General 
Blunt, under Captain Fenwick, had been successful in a similar 
manner, and had brought in forty-eight prisoners, made from 
stragglers in the rear of the enemy's army, having killed nine* 
whilst Lieutenant Colonel Waters, who had been employed with 
small detachments of cavalry and infantry in the enemy's rear, 
had been alike fortunate. In short, as his lordship observed iu 
one of his despatches, the difficulties winch the whole of Mas.se- 
na's army experienced in procuring subsistence, owing to their 
having invaded Portugal without magazines, and having adopted 
no measures for the security of their rear, or of their communi- 
cation with Spain, had rendered it necessary for the soldiers to 
straggle in search of provisions; and not a day passed without 
deserters or prisoners beiug brought in. 

At this period every thing remained quiet in the north of Por- 
tugal ;* and in the south of Spain Marshal Mortier had retired 

* The situation of the unhappy Portuguese at this period may be drawn 
from a proclamation of Lord Wellington of the 4th of August/*n Avhich he 
observes — 

" The inhabitants of some villages have remained in them, confiding in the 
promises of the enemy, and hoping that by treating the enemies of then- 
country well, they might conciliate and mollify them, and inspire them with 
humane sentiments ; that their property would be respected, their females 
preserved from brutal violation, and their Uvea secured. Vain hopes! 



224 

from Zafra and Los Santos, and fallen back upon Seville with 
bis army, in which march General Ballasteros had followed him 
to the vicinity of Castello de las Guardias, whilst the Portuguese 
and Spanish cavalry had moved on from the Guadiana towards 
the Sierra Morena. 

Though the winter was now approaching, yet Lord Welling- 
ton seems to have been indefatigable in the concentration of all 
the disposable forces; and accordingly having, in the early part 
of the month, also put the infantry of the Marquis de la Roma- 
na's corps in motion for the purpose of a junction with his 
army, they crossed the Tagus iu the morning of the 1 9th, and 
were well advanced to unite whenever it should be found neces- 
sary. 

Soon after this the enemy detached some troops towards San- 
iarem, and on the 23d of October General Loison marched to- 
wards that place with the division under his command, whilst a 
body of the enemy's infantry and cavalry marched into Thomar 
on the same day. 

About this period the reports which Lord Wellington received, 
from the deserters ami prisoners brought in, all concurred in the 
accounts of the distress felt by the enemy, through the want of 
provisions of all descriptions. These people stated also that the 
French army were busily employed in collecting aud preparing 
materials to construct a bridge over the Tagus ; it was some- 
thing very extraordinary, however, that this was done with great 
privacy; for, although the British army had a good view of that 
river, from different points of the ground' which they occupied, 
aud had officers and others employed on the left of the Tagus to 
watch the motions of the enemy; yet, even up to the latter end 
of October, it had been impossible either to discover where this 

The inhabitants of these submissive places have suffei'ed all the evils -which a 
cruel enemy could inflict ; their property has been plundered, their habita- 
tions burnt, their women atrociously violated, and those whose age or sex did 
not provoke the brutal violence of the soldiers, have fallen victims to the 
imprudent confidence which they placed in promises made only to be 
broken." 



225 

Tfrork was carrying on, or where the bridge was to be placed o& 
the river when constructed. 

The French appeared, however, very anxious to collect boats, 
and on the 24th they endeavoured, by the fire of artillery, to 
drive a party of the ordenanza from Chamusca, in order to ob- 
tain possession of some that were in that place ; but in this they 
did not succeed. 

In fact, to have pushed on a business of this kind might have 
brought on a general action, for which they were not prepared, 
and to which they did not feel themselves competent ; at the 
same time, notwithstanding this, it still seems to have been most 
prudential conduct on the part of Lord Wellington not to court 
an action, as the enemy were then suffering as much as they could 
well have done after a defeat; for on the side of Obidos and 
Ramelhal, the British cavalry and a battalion of Spanish light 
infantry, with the troops of the garrison of Peniche actually 
confined their detachments within very small limits, so that they 
really possessed no part of the country, except that on which 
their army stood. 

In the early part of November, Lord Wellington, with his 
army, was still at Pero Negro. The state aud position of the 
enemy also had been but little varied; they still had a considera- 
ble body of troops, chiefly cavalry, on the Tagus, between 
Punhete and Santarem, and they had also pushed some corps 
across the Zezere above Punhete, principally cavalry, apparently 
with the design of reconnoitring the roads in that direction, and 
the fort at Abrantes. They were now found to be at work pre- 
paring a bridge at Santarem and Barquinha for the destruction 
of which Major General Fane was detached from the British 
army with a body of cavalry and infantry to the left of the 
Tagus, in case he should find it practicable. 

So great was the distress of the enemy by the middle of No>- 
vember,* and so well planned and faithfully executed were the 

* His lordship in his despatches of the 3d of November had said, " It is 
reported by ail the deserters that the enemy's troops continue to suffer great 
distress from the want of provisions. 

20 



'2'26 

dispositions of Lord Wellington in confining them for upwards 
of a month in their old position, with their right at Sobral, and 
their left resting upon the Tagus, that they found it necessary to 
retire on the night of the 1 4th of November, going off by the 
road of Alenquer, towards Alcoeutrc with their right, and Villa 
Nova with their left, and continuing their route to Santarem on 
(he succeeding days. 

Lord Wellington's information was so correct, indeed he him- 
self watched them so closely, that this movement was instantly 
known; and on the very next morning (the 15th) the allied 
army broke up from their position, and folloAved the march of 
the euemy. So rap?$ *was this harassing pursuit, though still 
with great prudence avoiding a battle, that the British advanced 
guard was at Alenquer on the same day, and the cavalry and 
advanced guard at Azambuga and Alcoentre on the 16th, and at 
Cartaxo on the 1 7th. 

In these movements about four hundred prisoners were made 
by pressing hard upon the enemy's rear; the advance being fol- 
lowed closely up by Sir Brent Spencer's division, and the 5th 
division of infantry under Major General Leith. 

Lord Wellington on the 1 7th of November received accounts 
from Major General Fane (who had been detached to the left of 
the Tagus to look after the enemy's bridges) that the bridge over 
the Zezere, which he had been sent to destroy, had been carried 
away by the floods, but that another had been constructed across 
the Zezere, and that they had on that day marched a large body 
of troops from Santarem towards Golegan. 

In consequence of this information, his lordship with great 
promptitude passed Lieutenant General Hill's corps across the 
Tagus at Yalada, in the boats which Admiral Berkeley had 
sent up the river in order to assist and to facilitate the various 
operations of the army on that river. 

" It is impossible to form an estimate of the quantity of provisions which. 
they found in the villages on the ground which they occupy ; but it is certain 
that they can draw none from any other part of the country, the whole being 
il\ the possession of our troops." 



22f 

The skill and patience displayed by Lord Wellington during 
the whole of these manoeuvres were such as completely to defeat 
all the plans of the enemy ; for being himself obliged to act on 
the defensive, in order to bring them to a stand, he had so com- 
pletely strengthened the works of his position, as to render an 
attack upon the line occupied by the allied army very doubtful, 
if not entirely hopeless ; whilst at the same time his dispositions 
were so judiciously made as to keep the enemy in check on all 
sides, but that on which they finally retreated ; and even there 
it was impossible for them to keep up any communication what- 
ever with the country, sufficient to ensure them the necesssry 
supplies. Could they have crossed the Tagus, a fertile country 
would have been within their reach ; but this they could not do 
without bridges or boats, to procure either of which they were 
unable whilst the river was in British possession. 

There is no situation in \chich an army more particularly re- 
quires the constant superintendence of its commander in chief, 
than when it is comparatively in. a state of quiescence; but, even 
in this state, the dispositions of Lord Welliiigton were so judi- 
cious, that, during the month he lay behind his lines, the effective 
strength of his army in proportion to its total numbers had won- 
derfully increased ; in fact, there was no sickness of any im- 
portance, and above one half of those stated as sick in the mili- 
tary returns were convalescents, who were very considerately 
detained at Belem, and the other hospitals, until they had com- 
pletely gained their strength so as to bear the fatigue of marching, 
and of the other duties of the field. 

Much praise was also due to his lordship for his arrangements 
respecting his allies; for, in addition to the Portuguese force, the 
Marquis de la Romana had also joined the allied army in their 
positions in front of Lisbon, with ' a considerable detachment of 
the Spanish army under his command; yet throughout the whole 
period during which these positions were occupied, every thing 
went on with the utmost regularity, and the most satisfactory 
precision, notwithstanding that the force was thus composed of 
^roops of various descriptions, and of different nations. 



•228 

Up to the early part of December, the enemy continued their 
retreat, closely followed, as prudence and enterprise dictated, by 
ihp British army : and about this period a detachment com- 
manded by General Gardanne, and which had returned to So- 
breira Formosa, as if unwilling to quit Portugal, thought proper 
to resume their march to the frontier, and to enter Spain. 

So closely were they watched, however, that they had no op- 
portunity of forming any communication with the enemy's troops 
on the left of the Zezere, though at one time only three leagues 
distant from them. 

General Gardanne, indeed, seems to have had some particular 
object in view, though il was frustrated by the different positions 
of the British army ; for having lost some prisoners taken by a 
patrole, and a party of the ordinanza, which accompanied the 
honourable Lieutenant Colonel Ponsonby on a reconnoissance 
from Abrantes to the river Codes, it was understood that the 
enemy had made very particular inquiries respecting the positiou 
of Lieutenant General Hill's corps, and the means which the 
allies possessed of crossing the Tagus at Abrantes; after which, 
having commenced their march from Cardijjos towards Codes in 
the morning, they retired a few hours after with great precipita- 
tion, and continued their retreat in the same manner until they 
reached the frontier. 

In this retreat they -were followed by the ordinanza, who not 
only did them much mischief, but succeeded in capturing a great 
part of their baggage ; and so much were they harassed, even 
by this irregular force, that they destroyed many horses and 
mules which could not keep up with them ; and their whole 
march, as Lord Wellington observed, if it was ordered by the 
fupreme authority, and was connected with any other arrangement, 
had every appearance, and was attended by all the consequences, 
of a precipitate and forced retreat. 

With respect to the main body of the enemy's army, however, 
which was still in front of the British position at Cartaxo, no particu- 
lar alteration took place up to the 1 5th of December, except the de- 
taching a body of cavalry, consisting of four regiments, toward? 



229 

Coimbra; but finding that town occupied by General Bacellar,. 
they soon returned to their station in the rear of the right of 
their army, which, from all the accounts brought in by prisoners 
and deserters, continued to suffer severely ; whilst the British 
army, though acting on the defensive, were in possession of as 
many comforts as were compatible with such a state of warfare. 

Santarena was at this period the head-quarters of the French 
army, (as Cartaxo was of the British,) and they had about the 
22d of December been able to collect some boats on the Zezere 
over which river they had also thrown two or three bridges ; 
and, towards the latter end of the month, those detachments 
which had retired from Lower Beira, in the early part of De- 
cember, crossed the Coa, and moved into the upper Beira, by the 
roads of Pinhel and Trancoso, and of Alverca and Celorico* 
This seems to have been something of a forward movement on 
the part of the enemy, but the whole force did not consist of 
more than sixteen or seventeen thousand men, being partly Gar- 
danne's division, with some other troops; their progress, how-* 
ever, was by no means rapid, and their advanced posts, even on 
the 22d, had not got further than Maceira, in the valley of the 
Mondego. 

Though Lord Wellington still deemed any active operations 
on his part imprudent, yet he had made every disposition for 
active warfare, whenever it was practicable. Accordingly, in 
the latter end of the year, though General Silveira had retired 
with his division of troops to Mor Monto de Beira, yet he, and 
General Milter, and Colonel Wilson, were prepared to act across 
the Mondego, upon the flanks and rear of the enemy when oc- 
casion should require it. 

At the close of the year, Lord Wellington still pursued the 
same defensive warfare which had hitherto been so successful ; 
and although there were some appearances of a turn of fortune 
in favour of the French, yet he was firm in adhering to his plan, 
and never for a moment doubted of its success. We cannot give 
a more faithful picture of events at this period, than from a 
• ecent statement, which tells us that the ardouF and activity ojf 



230 

Lord Wellington "were suitable to the importance of the crisis, 
lie was very sparing in his diet, and slept in his clothes. He 
was up every morning at four o'clock, and at five he rode out 
and visited his advanced posts.* J he uoble enthusiasm with 
winch he was actuated was infused into his army by sympathy. 
The whole country, indeed, was under arms. Ever} thiLii at 
Lisbon was military. The city was garrisoned by marines from 
the t nglish fleet ; and the garrison of Lisbon was sent to reinforce 
the army, which was also augmented by the arrival of 10,000 
irds. un'der the Marquis of liomana. The greater part of 
ihe British troops hid arrived from Cadiz; and the seamen and 
marines were also lauded from the fleet, to assist iu working the 
guns in the batteries. The banks of the Tagus, on the right of 
the British lines, were flanked by the armed launches, and seven 
sloops of war were sent up the river; whilst extensive works were 
raised on the south side of the Tagus, to cover the river and 
protect the shipping. On the same side of the river, too, the 
Peninsula, formed by a creek or small bay at Moita, near Aldea 
Gallega on the Tagus, and the bay of St. Ubes, was cut off 
from the French by a double line of fortifications, mounted with 
very heavy artillery, and manned, partly, by a body of 3.000 
seamen; on account of which the French were prevented from 
advancing to Almada opposite to Lisbon, even if they should be 
able to cross the river, which at oue time was supposed to be 

* If the French suffered from privation the British also were not with- 
out their inconveniences ; but the following extract from a military letter will 
show something of a soldier's life. 

" Cartaxo, 29th November. The French take all the vegetables and eat- 
ables they ean carry away. We are but poorly off here, and a good deal 
harassed. Scarce a house is left in the count y with a door or window shutter- 
Windows are out of the question. A board or two serves for « table, and he 
is a lucky ft How who can find a chair or stool to sit on ; beds we do not pre- 
sume to think of. Since we hare left Lisbon, I have never taken off more 
than cqat, stock, and shoes, and put on my boat cloak, and hairy cap, and am 
glad if I can get a place to lie down dry, which has not always been the case. 
We can get nothing but our rations, except what comes from Lisbon— We 
tive cheap." 
2 



231 

their intention : and on that side of the Tagus were posted the 
corps of Generals Hill and Beresford. 

Torres Vedras, however, formed the main defence. This was 
the grand lioe, and Lord Wellington himself lay at CartaAO 
with the main body of the British army. 

Between these two great military forces was the British fleet 
in the Tagus, ready to assist on whichever side the attack 
might be made, and to transport troops when necessary; so that, 
upon an emergency, a very considerable part of the whole force 
might be brought into action, even on the shortest notice. 

The whole of this scene is most imposing ; for though, per- 
haps, the allies were numerically superior to the French, yet it 
must be recollected that a great part of their forc^; was as yet 
very inefficient : but the whole of the two contending armies 
amounted at least to 180,000 men. 

The grand position of the allied army at Torres Yedras was a 
line of strongly fortified heights, extending from Alhandra on the 
Tagus, to Torres Vedras, about thirty miles from Lisbon, and 
from thence to the mouth of the Sissandro. Behind these there 
were two other lines of trenches and redoubts, extending from 
Mafra, on the seacoast to the Tagus. One of these, which was 
nearest to the fortified line of Torres Vedras in front, was capable 
of defence bj 20,000 men; whilst half that number was suf- 
ficient for the other. 

On all of these there was planted an immense number of artillery ; 
whilst redoubts were raised at Peniche, Obidos, and many other 
places. Even the hills were fortified; and, on the left ot th( 
position, the whole of the coast, from Vimiera to the very mouth 
of the Tagus, was studded with redoubts mounted with heavj • 
artillery. The right on tire Tagus was flanked by the armed 
boats of the squadron. Mines were ready for springing in many 
places; and the whole country was one vast fortification, with 
about R0,000 men well armed and well fed. 

Torres Vedras is of itself an old and insignificant town on the 
Oporto road from Lisbon, and is about two and twenty miles dis- 
tant from the capital. It stands in a vallry, but has some very 



232 

important heights in its vicinity ; and particularly one conical 
hill, which commands the town; and having the ruins of an old 
tower upon it, from thence gives a name to the place. 

It must, indeed, be a place of considerable antiquity ; for 
even as early as the Roman times, when it was a colonial presi- 
dium of the people, it had the name of " Turres Yeteres," or 
the Old Towers. 

Of the lines themselves, we may add, that the first line com- 
prehended thirty-two works, with about one hundred pieces of 
cannon, and 10,000 infantry. The second line was defended by 
sixty -five works, 15,000 infantry, and about 200 pieces of ar- 
tillery : whilst the remainder of the army was employed in 
keeping up tjje communication between the lines and the reserve. 
The grand total, on the 1st of November, 1310, being 107 dis- 
tinct fortified works, 28,490 infantry, and 444 cannon of all 
sizes ! ! ! — works to which the labours of Hercules were but a* 
mole hills to mountains ! 



SECTION VIII. 



Spanish affairs — Fall of Tortosa — Death and character of the Marquis de la 
Komana — Anecdotes of ditto — Defeat of General Mendizabcl — Anecdotes 
<jf military enterprise — Affairs of Cadiz — Expedition detached- Anecdote^ 
of Sir i homas Graham — Battle of Barrosa — Military anecdotes of ditto — 
Observations on Lord Wellington's policy — Distress and retreat of the 
French army — Pursued by the British — Gallant affairs with the rear of the 
French — Defeat of Massena's rear guard at Pombal — Affair of Arron- 
ches — Further interesting delineations — Marshal Beresford blockades 
Badajoz, and defeats the French at Campo Mayor — Anecdotes of the bat- 
tic — Massena's rear guard defeated at Sabugal — Blockade of Almeida 
Attack and repulse of Massena at Fuente d'Honor — Curious anecdotes oC 
^ Don Julian, the famous Spanish guerilla — Retreat of the garrison of Al- 
meida — Battle of Albuera, and defeat of Soult — Gallantry of the Spanish 
soldiery— Siege of Badajoz — Two assaults fail — Lord Wellington raises the 
siege — Junction of the French armies — Lord Wellington blockades Ciu- 
dad Rodrigo — Raises the blockade — British rear guard repulses Marmont — 
Attacks of the French on Fonte Guinaldo — French army repulsed at Aides 
de Ponte — Retreat of the French — Honours conferred on Lord Welling- 
ton—Gallant enterprise of Don Julian Sanchez — Governor of Ciudad Ro- 
drigo taken — Anecdotes of General Hill — Spirited attack and judicious 
surprise of General Girard and his detachment, &c. &c. &c. 

THE year 1811 has, perhaps, produced more important 
events than any other of the struggle for independence in the 
Peninsula. 

On the second day of the year General Suchet took possession 
of Tortosa, after a short siege and very ineffectual defence. It 
is believed, indeed, that it might have held out a much longer 
time, particularly as its situation near the mouth of the Ebro 
rendered it easy to afford it succours from the sea ; but its sur- 
render is one of those extraordinary events during this Spanish 
contest, which it is easier to lament than to account for. 

On the 23d of January Soult took possession of Olivenza: 
and the same day produced an event, ev.ea more lameo^h'e for 



V 



*234 

the Spauish cause, in the death of the gallant Marquis de 1st 
Komaua.* 

After the death of the marquis, his corps devolved upon Men- 

* Lord Wellington expressed much sorrow for the death of the Marquis de 
la Romana, who expired at Cartaxo, within the British lines, on the 23d of 
January, after a short illness. He observed that his talents, his virtues, and 
his patriotism, were well known : that in him the Spanish army had lost its 
brightest ornament ; his country its most upright patriot ; aud the world the 
most strenuous and zealous defender of the cause of liberty; and his lordship 
added, that he should always acknowledge, with gratitude, the assistance 
which he had received from him, as well by his operations as his counsel, from 
the time of his joining the allied army. 

Romana was a native of the island of Majorca, and was born at Palma, in 
1 762, his name Don Pedro Caro y Sureda, a grandee of Spain by descent; 
<* and by subsequent services, grand cross of the royal Spanish order of Charles 
+ the Third, and captain general of the Spanish armies. 

After an education suitable to his birth, during which he made a rapid 
progress in the learned languages, with the classics of which he was fami- 
liarly acquainted, emulous of his father, who died gloriously in the field 
of honour, in the expedition to Algiers in 1775, he began his military career 
in the marine guards of the royal Spanish navy, where he continued until the 
war of the French revolution, being then captain of a frigate. At this time; 
he exchanged his services, and became a colonel in the army of Navarre, 
commanded by his uncle Don Ventura Caro, then a lieutenant general. 

His services were so important, and his abilities so transcendent, that in 
1801 he -was appointed captain general of Catalonia, and president of the 
royal audiencia of that province ; in which capacity he found many oppor- 
tunities of displaying his extensive knowledge and sound policy. He after- 
wards rose to he director general of engineers, and counsellor at war. 

The insidious plan which the tyrant of Europe already cherished, led hint 
to withdraw from Spain the Mai-quis de la Romana with her best troops, lu 
the command of these the marquis displayed an intelligence which is well 
known, till the situation of his beloved country coming to his knowledge amid 
the snows of the north, from that moment he vowed to succour her, surmount- 
ing, with that view, a thousand dangers and difficulties. 

On his arrival in Spain, by his conduct and military skill, he finally suc- 
ceeded in driving the invaders from Gallicia, even to their own astonish- 
ment, and to the surprise of all who knew the small means he had at his dis- 
posal. 

As the recovery of the Spanish forces, which had been so insidiously drawn 
away by Bonaparte, forms a prominent feature in the history of the Spanisl 
revolution, the following anecdote will not be irrelevant 



235 

ilizabel, who was sooh after detached upon a particular serviee. 
but was defeated ou the 19th of February, by Soult, near the 
river Geborah. 

Whilst the main bodies of the hostile troops were laying in their 
respective positions, some events took place in tiie south which 
deserve particular notice ;* and aa important era in the Spanish war 

Whilst the Marquis de la ltomana and his troops were in Denmark, thci 
were kept in profound ignorance of the situation of their native country, anil 
of the glorious events which had taken place there, notwithstanding the 
various attempts which had been made on the part of the British naval com- 
mander, Sir Richard Keats, to communicate the tidings to him, and to con- 
cert the means of escape for himself and troops. At length an enterprising 
gentleman was found, an ecclesiastic, in who^e honour, knowledge and good 
sense, the firmest confidence could be placed. This gentleman, disguised as 
a trader of the humblest description, went by way of Heligoland to the place 
where the marquis and his troops were confined, having encountered such 
difficulties in his progress as required the utmost caution, patience, and forti- 
tude. Atlength he overcame all obstacles; and, having ascertained the per- 
son of the maiquis, he was obliged to watch incessantly for an opportunity of 
addressing him, without exciting the suspicion of the numerous spies by 
whom he was surrounded This agent at last was obliged, as if by accident, 
to jostle the marquis in the street, in order to attract his attention ; and, 
having done so, he apologized as if ignorant of his rank, and concluded with 
offering to sell him some excellent coffee. The marquis treated this offer 
with contempt, and signified that he supposed he was speaking to a smuggler. 
The priest, however, persevered in recommending his coffee ; and in the 
course of the conversation, took an opportunity of intimating that he was not 
a smuggler but a gentleman. " We'll soon see to that," said the marquis, and 
then asked him if he could speak Latin The priest answered in the affirma- 
tive, and a conversation ens'ied apparently about coffee, as the gestures of 
both were intended to deceive all who might observe them. The marquis 
was then duly informed of every thing that had occurred in Spain, of the 
assistance which the British government had rendered, and of its readiness 
to adopt any measure that was practicable, to effect the rescue of himself and 
his troops, that they might join their heroic countrymen in resisting the vile 
attempts of France to enslave them. 

The re3t of the measures necessary for the attainment of the object in 
view, and its final success, are well known. 

* An expedition having been determined upon by the Spanish government, 
to which Lieutenant General Graham, then at Cadiz, had consented to give 



wasaow approaching, which seems to have been foreseen and pro- 
vided for by Lord Wellington, in his admirable defensive ma- 

his personal assistance, together with that of a considerable portion of the 
troops under his command, ({ear Admiral Sir Richard Keats proceeded to 
afford all the assistance in his power, when a body of upwards of three thou- 
sand troops, including cavalry, with various military stores and provisions, 
were embarked on board of British and Spanish men of war, and as many 
transports as could be collected belonging to the two nations. With these 
there were seven thousand Spanish troops embarked, and the whole were 
assembled in the bay of Cadiz, on the 20th of February, waiting for a favour- 
able opportunity to proceed nto the Straits of Gibraltar, with a" view to 
force a landing between Cape Trafalgar, and Cape de Plata at Tariffa, or at 
Algeziras in failure of the two former places. 

General La Penas was the commander in chief of the expedition; and his 
object was to unite the Spanish forces at San lioque, with his own army, in 
order to make a combined attack on the rear of the enemy's lines at Cadiz. 
It was also intended that the British fleet should assist in some demonstra- 
tions, and in an attempt to open a communication from Cadiz to the ad- 
vancing army. 

On the evening of the '20th, it being conceived, from the appearance of the 
weather, that the Spanish part of the force would be able to get out on the 
afternoon and night of the 'J 1 st, the British detachment and squadron, undep 
the command of Captain Brace of the navy, .put to sea accordingly ; and, 
with the exception of one transport, got into the straits ; but it being imprac- 
ticable to make a landing either in the vicinity of Oape Trafalgar or Tariffa, 
Captain Brace proceeded to Algeziras, on the west side of the Bay of Gibral- 
tar, where General Graham and the troops were landed. 

The little army immediately marched for Tariffa ; but as the roads were 
impracticable for carriages, the artillery, provisions, stores, &c. were con- 
veyed thither in boats, notwithstanding the unfavourableness of the weather, 
by the indefatigable exertions of the navy. 

It was, however, some days before the Spanish part of the expedition could 
get out ; nor did they get to Tariffa until the 27th. 

On the 28th the combined army moved from Tariffa towards Barbate, 
attended by such naval means as winds and weather would permit; and pre- 
parations were made by the fleet and garrison at Cadiz, and immediately 
acted upon, to menace the Trocadero and other points of the French line, in 
order, as the army advanced, to favour its operations, arrangements being 
made for a landing and real or feigned attacks as circumstances might deter- 
mine ; for which purpose the regiment of Toledo was embarked on bo ard 
the British squadron. 

On the 1st of March General Zayas pushed across the river San Putri, 



237 

noeuvres, as he clearly and judiciously saw that the nature pfjthe 
Spanish territory, the nature of the warfare carried ou in the 

near the coast : a strong body of Spanish troops threw a bridge across the 
river, and formed a tete du pont. It was, however, a post of too much im- 
portance for the enemy to leave it unmolested ; and accordingly it was at- 
tacked with vigour on the nights of the 3d and 4th, when, though the as- 
sailants were ultimately repulsed, the loss of the Spaniards was very consi- 
derable. 

The winds and weather were now so tempestuous and unfavourable, that 
landing on any part of the neighbouring coasts was extremely difficult, and a 
speedy re-embarkation, if necessary, almost impracticable ; in fact, even 
common communication with the advancing allied army was considerably 
impeded by the heavy surf along the shore ; and the services of the Spanish 
regiment embarked being totally useless they were sent on shore. 

Information was now received that the army was advancing, but the wea- 
t.her on the 5th in the afternoon was too unsettled to admit of any co-opera- 
tion. 

The allied troops, after a night march of sixteen hours from the camp 
nearVegar, arrived on the morning of the 5th of March ou the low ridge oi 
Barrosa, about four miles to the southward of the river of Pan Petri. 

A well conducted and successful attack on the rear of the enemy's lines 
aear San Petri by the vanguard of the Spanish army, under Brigadier Gene- 
ral Ladrizabel, having opened the communications of the army with the Isla 
de Leon, General Graham received directions from the Spanish General La 
Penas to move down from the position of Barrosa to that of the Torre dc 
Bermesa, about halfway to the San Petri river, in order to secure a commu- 
nication across the river, over which a bridge had been lately established. 
This latter position placed the British troops on a narrow woody ridge ; the 
right ou the sea cliff, the left falling down to the Almanza creek, on the 6Hge 
of the marsh ; a hard, sandy beach giving an easy communication between the 
western points of these two positions. 

General Graham having halted his division on the eastern slope of tli - 
Barrosa height, he marched about noon through the wood towards the Ber- 
mesa, (cavalry patroles having previously been sent towards Chiclana with- 
out meeting with the enemy,) but on the march he received intelligence that 
a large French force had appeared on the plain, and was then advancing to- 
wards the heights of Harrosa. 

The general, considering that position as the key of San Petri, immediately 
countermarched in order to support the troops left for its defence ; and the 
order was obeyed by his gallant few with such alacrity that he could not help 
regarding it as a favourable omen. In such difficult and intricate ground it was 
impossible to preserve order in his columns of march ; aud indeed he after- 



238 

Peniusula, and the protracted state of warfare, would in time 
produce considerable advantage to the allied cause. 

wards confessed in his despatches that there never was time for restoring it 
entirely, for before he could get his detachment quite disentangled from the 
wood, the troops on the Barrosa hill were seen returning from it, whilst the 
left wing of the enemy was rapidly ascending; and at the same time his 
right wing stood on the plain, on the edge of the wood, within cannon shot. 

With the utmost coolness and precision General Graham reflected, that a 
retreat in the face of such an enemy, already within reach of the easy com- 
munication by the sea beach, must have involved the whole allied army in all 
the danger of being attacked during the unavoidable confusion of the different 
corps arriving on the narrow ridge of Bermesa, nearly at the same time ; 
therefore, trusting to the known heroism of British troops, regardless of 
the numbers and position of the enemy, he determined, with rapid judgment, 
on an immediate attack. 

Major Duncan of the artillery soon opened a powerful battery of ten guns 
in the centre. Brigadier General Dilks, with the brigade of guards ; Lieute- 
nant Colonel Browne's (of the 28th) flank battalion; Lieutenant Colonel Nor- 
cott's two companies of the 2d rifle corps, and Major Acheson, with a part of 
the 67th foot, (separated from the regiment in the wood,) formed on the 
right. 

Colonel's Wheatley's brigade with three companies of the Coldstream 
guards, under Lieutenant Colonel Jackson, (separated likewise from his bat- 
talion in the wood,) and Lieutenant Colonel Barnard's flank battalion formed 
on the left. 

As soon as the infantry was thus hastily got together, the guns advanced to 
a more favourable position, and kept up a most destructive fire. 

The right wing proceeded to the altaek of General Rufin's division on the 
hill, while Lieutenant Colonel Barnard's battalion, and Lieutenant Colonel 
B'ishe's detachment of the 20th Portuguese, were warmly engaged with the 
enemy's tirailleurs on the left. 

General Laval's division of the French army, notwithstanding the havoc 
made by the British artillery, continued to advance in very imposing masses, 
opening his fire of musketry ; and was not checked until the British left 
wing advanced, firing, when a most determined charge by the three com- 
panies of the guards, and the 87th regiment, supported by all the remain- 
der of the wing, decided the defeat of General Laval and his division. 

The eagle of the 8th regiment of French light infantry, which upon ttfis 
occasion suffered severely, and a howitzer, were the reward of this gallant 
charge, being taken possession of by Major Gough of the 87th, whilst th> 



239 

The state of the hostile armies, at the commencement of the 
year 1811, has been admirably drawn by a cotemporary his- 
torian, who observed that the retreat of Massena from his ad- 
vance upon the British lines at Torres Vedras back to Santa- 
rem, at the close of the preceding year, had produced excessive 
joy and congratulation at home, as his immediate and further 
retreat was then looked for with certainty. 

It soon appeared, hoAvever, that he had established himself in 

;<ttack was zealously supported by Colonel Belson, with the 28th regiment, 
and Lie utenat Colonel Prevost, with a part of the 6"th. 

Nothing could stop the impetuosity of these gallant fellows, who, rushing 
on, soon obliged a reserve formed beyond the narrow valley, across which 
the enemy was closely pursued, to share the same fate, they being routed bj 
a second chai'ge. 

Nor was the right wingof the British less successful. On that side, the enemy, 
confident of success, met General Dilks on the ascent of the hill, and the 
contest was sanguinary ; but the undaunted perseverauce of the brigade of 
.guards, of Lieutenant Colonel Browne's battalion, and of Lieutenant Colonel 
Norcott's, and Major Acheson's detachment, overcame every obstacle, and 
General Itufin's division was driven from the heights in confusion, leaving 
two pieces of cannon.** 

** In this brilliant action, the fire was hotter than ever remembered by 
the oldest soldier; scarcely an officer escaping without some mark of shot. 
General Graham was himself pierced in the coat in two places; many of 
the colonels had their horses wounded, and Lieutenant Colonel Colquitt, of 
the guards, was shot through the sleeve of his coat by a musket ball, and a can- 
non shot literally touched his saddle, while he was in the act of dismounting to 
pass a ravine. 

A private letter stated :-— 

" Our fellows had marched 22 miles that day, and were just taking refresh- 
ment, when a peasant came to General Graham and told him the French 
were coming round a wood to surprise him, on which General Graham 
formed his little army with admirable precision. When the enemy appeared 
»n sight, General Graham rode up in front of the guards, 87th regiment, 
German Legion, and Portuguese cavalry ; and, waving his hat, exclaimed, 
' Now my lads there they are — spare your powder, hut give them steel ' 
enough !' on which the column gave three cheers, and as the French neared 
them gave their volley, and made so animated a charge, that in an hour the 
enemy were put hors du combat, and with the prompt assistance of the rifle 
eovps, and othfr British regin>enfs. dispersed in all dirertifms. 



240 

his new position, thereby showing his retreat to Sautarem to b< 
perhaps little more than a feint, or at least merely rendered ne- 
cessary by the devastation of that district, which his numerous 
army had so long occupied. 

Indeed, early in 1811 Lord Wellington received intelligence 
that, considerable reinforcements, to the amount of 15,000, were 
coming to him, bringing with them extensive supplies; and that 
although the Portuguese General Silviera had attempted to inter- 
rupt their march, still lie had only been able to harass them in a 
small degree, and was even himself compelled to abandon his ob- 
ject after a smart action in which he was beaten. 

It has been noticed, that for some time after Massena received 
this reinforcement the desertions from his army were much less 
frequent, nor did the accounts even of those who came away pre 
sent such horrid pictures of distress and famine. 

From all this it was easy to conjecture that the French army 
must have received a considerable supply of provisions; but 
still Lord Wellington knew that the additional force which ac- 
companied them must in the end increase their consumption, and 
hasten the retreat of the whole, from sheer famine, provided he 
could avoid a general action. With this object in view, then, 
did he quietly- occupy his lines at Torres Vedras, silently ex- 
pecting that period which should again put the French army in 
motion. 

The French army, being no longer able to remain in the posi- 
tions which it had so long occupied at Santarem and its vicinity, 
began to retire on the night of the 5th of March, when Lord 
Wellington on the following day, at an early hour, put the whole 
British army in motion to follow them. 

Their first movements indicated an intention to collect a force 
at Thomar; he, therefore, marched upon that town, on the 8th. 
a considerable body of troops formed of a part of Marshal Sir 
William Beresford's corps, under Major General the honourable 
William Stewart, which had crossed the Tagus at Abrantes and 
afterwards the Zezere, and of the 4th and 6th, and part of the 
first divisions of infantry, and two brigades of British cavalry- 



241 

The enemy, however, continued their march towards the Mon- 
dego, having one corps on the road to Espinhal ; General Loison's 
division on the road of Anciao ; and the remainder of their army 
towards Pombal. These last were followed, and never lot sight 
of, by the light division, the royal dragoons, and 1st hussars, 
who annoyed them so closely as to take about two hundred pri- 
soners. 

On the 9th of March the enemy collected in front of Pombal 
a considerable force, amounting to three divisions of their army ; 
but even this they were not permitted to do unmolested; for the 
hussars, which, with the royal dragoons and light division were 
immediately in their front, distinguished themselves much in a 
charge which they found a favourable opportunity of making, 
under the command of Colonel Arenschildt. 

So rapid, indeed, had been the movements in advance of the 
pursuing army, that a detachment of the 16th light dragoons un- 
der Lieutenant Weyland, which had been in observation of the 
enemy near Leyria, made prisoners a detachment consisting of 
thirty dragoons on that morning: and had followed the enemy 
from Leyria, and arrived on the ground just in time to assist 
their friends the hussars in their charge. 

Though a part of the British army was so far in advance, yet 
Lord Wellington could not collect a sufficient body of troops to 
commence any serious attack upon the enemy before the 11th,* 
when a considerable force was brought up including the light divi- 
sions of infantry and all the British cavalry ; all of which joined 
upon the ground immediately in front of the enemy, who had com- 
menced their retreat from their position during the night. 

The enemy now made an attempt to hold the ancient castle of 
Pombal, but were driven from it by the advance under the com- 
mand of Major Generals Sir William Erskine and Slade; but a 
strong corps of the enemy under General Montbrun was enabled 
to hold the ground on the other side of the town, as our troops had 

* On this very day, the 11th of March, Badajoz surrendered to Marsha' 
Soult, after a very honourable resistance. 
31 



242 

uot arrived iu time to complete the dispositions for the attack 
before it was dark. 

In.the night of the 11th the enemy retired; and on the 12th 
the sixth corps of their army, with General Montbrun's cavalry, 
took up a strong position at the end of a defile between Redinha 
and Pombal, with their right in a wood upon the Loura River, 
and their left extending towards the high ground above the river 
of Redinha. This town was in the rear. 

Lord Wellington immediately led to the attack, with the divi- 
sions of light infantry, General Pack's brigade, and the cavalry ; 
the other troops being in reserve. 

The post in the Avood upon their right was first forced by Sir 
William Erskine with the light division, when his lordship was 
enabled to form the British troops in the plain beyond the defile; 
and the division under General Picton was formed in two lines in 
the skirts of the wood upon the right. By the other dispositions 
for the main attack, General Cole's division was in two lines in the 
centre, having General Pack's brigade supporting their right, and 
the light division in two lines on their left. These again were 
supported in the rear by the British cavalry, and three other 
divisions of infantry in reserve. 

The whole of the troops were thus formed with great accuracy 
and alacrity, and Lieutenant General Sir Brent Spencer led the 
line against the enemy's position on the height, from which they 
were immediately driven, with the loss of many men killed and 
wounded, and some prisoners. 

Thus far their defeat was complete; but as there was only one 
narrow bridge, and a ford close to it, over the Redinha river, 
over which the British light troops actually passed with the 
enemy, and these passages at the same time were commanded by 
ihe French artillery, sometime elapsed before a sufficient number 
of troops could be passed over to make a fresh disposition to at- 
tack the heights in which ihey had again taken post. A division, 
however, passed over; and, by manoeuvring upon their flanks, 
obliged them to retire upon their main body at Condeixa. 
•» Even there they were pursued ; and on the 13th Lord Wei- 



243 

Hogton observed them sending off their baggage ; aud, judging 
from their movements that they felt themselves hard pressed, he 
immediately marched a division under Major General Picton 
through the mountains upon their left, towards the only road 
open for their retreat, which had the instant effect of dislodging 
them from their strong position at Condeixa : after which a com- 
munication was opened with Coimbra, and a detachment of ca- 
valry taken prisoners. A considerable part of the enemy's force 
was found in a very strong position at Casal Nova the next 
morning, but the light infantry drove in their outposts ; and as 
Lord Wellington perceived that he could only dislodge them by 
movements upon their flanks, a series of movements to that 
effect were immediately put in force, which obliged them to 
abandon all the positions which they successively attempted to 
take in the mountains ; the whole of their rear guard, consisting 
of two corps d'armee, being thus driven back upon the main 
body at Miranda de Corvo, upon the river Esa, with a con- 
siderable loss of killed, Avounded, and prisoners. 

The result of these spirited and well-timed operations was the 
saving of Coimbra aud Upper Beira from their hostile ravages, 
whilst a communication w r as opened with the northern provinces, 
aud the enemy themselves were obliged to retreat by the road to 
Ponte de Murcella; in which route Lord Wellington expected 
that the militia would be able to annoy them in flank, whilst the 
allied army should press upon their rear. The whole country, 
indeed, afforded many advantageous positions to a retreating 
army, of which, as his lordship candidly observed, they showed 
that they kuew how to avail themselves : but they were obliged 
to retreat in one solid mass, covering their rear in every marcli 
by the operations of a strong rear guard in the various strong 
positions they might fall in with ; aud so great were the incon- 
veniences and difficulties connected with this mode of retreat, 
that before they quitted their position they were obliged to 



244 

destroy a part of their cannon and ammunition, and afterwards 
to blow up much which their horses could not carry away.* 

On the 14th the divisions of Generals Cole and Nightingale 
joined at Esplihal ; and this movement affording Lord Wellidg- 
ton the means of turning the enemy's strong position at Miranda 
de Corvo, they abandoned it that very night, destroying a great 
number of carriages, burying and otherwise destroying or con- 
cealing the ammunition which they had carried, and also much 
of their baggage ; whilst their road of march was strewed with 
the carcasses of men and animals, and the wreck of their equip- 
ments. 

On the 15th his lordship found the enemy's whole army in a 
very strong position on the river Ceira, having one corps, as an 
advanced guard, in front of Foy d'Aronce on the hither side of 

* Lord Wellington observed that they had no provisions except what they 
had plundered on the spot ; or having plundered, what the soldiers carried on 
their backs, and some live cattle. He added that their conduct throughout 
the retreat was marked by a barbarity seldom equalled, and never surpassed. 
Even in the towns of Torres Novas, Thomar, &c. in which the head-quarters 
of some of the corps had been for four months, and in which the inhabitants 
had been induced by promises of good treatment to remain, these poor peo- 
ple were yet plundered and many of their houses destroyed on the first night 
of the enemy withdrawing from their position ; after which they burned 
every town through which they passed. Even the convent of Alcobaca was 
burnt by orders from head-quarters ; the bishop's palace, and the whole town 
of Leyria, in which General Drouet had had his head-quarters, shared the 
same fate ; and there was not an inhabitant of the country, of any class or 
description, who had any dealings or communication with the French array, 
without having reason to complain of their treatment. 

This is the mode, adds his lordship, in which the promises have been per. 
formed and the assurances have been fulfilled, which were held out in the 
proclamation of the French commander in chief; in which he told the in- 
habitants of Portugal that he was not come to make war upon them, but with 
a powerful army of one hundred and ten thousand men, to drive the English 
into the sea. It is to be hoped, he continues, that the example of what has 
occurred in this country, will teach the people of Portugal and other nations, 
what value they ought to place on such promises and assurances, and that 
there is no security for life, or for any tiling which renders life valuable, 
excepting decided resistance to the enemy. 



245 

the river. He immediately made arrangements to drive in this 
post, preparatory to the movements which it might be expedient 
to make to cross the Ceira the next morning, when the different 
detachments performed a number of masterly evolutions in a dif- 
ficult country, successively driving in their posts ; but as a heavy 
fog had prevented the army from moving until a late hour in the 
morning, it was dark by the time they had gained possession of 
the last position of the advanced guard. In the night, however, 
the whole French army retreated, having destroyed the bridge 
on the Ceira, and left only a small rear guard on that river. 

The losses of the British army in these several attacks were 
trifling in the extreme ; and the enemy continued their retreat 
during the remainder of the month towards the frontier, Mas- 
sena feeling himself obliged to facilitate his various movements 
by the abandonment of his wounded, the destruction of baggage, 
and whatever could be considered as an encumbrance. 

The British army still continued in advance and harassing 
them upon every occasion, but not sufficiently strong to attempt 
any general attack. Indeed, iu a country thus plundered by a 
retreating army, the pursuers must inevitably meet with con- 
siderable difficulties, and although, when Lord Wellington found 
that the enemy retreated with great celerity from Moita, he 
continued the pursuit with the cavalry and the light infantry, yet he 
was induced to halt the remainder of the army till the supplies 
which had been sent round from the Tagus to the Mondego 
could arrive. In fact, this halt was the more desirable, as 
nothing could be found in the country, and every day's march 
increased the distance from the magazines in the Tagus, thereby 
rendering the supply of the troops more difficult and pre- 
carious. 

Thus the cavalry and light troops continued to annoy the 
enemy's rear, and a number of prisoners were taken; whilst 
the detached corps of the army and of the main Spanish force 
were enabled to attack with success the various detachments of 
the French army. 

In this forced retreat, Massena was obliged to march by a 



246 

road very confined; aud his plan of devastation did not extend 
more than a league in diameter; such was -the vivacity and 
promptitude with which he was pursued 1 

Indeed, to set on fire thus, and destroy the places through 
which he passed, was neither a proof of tranquillity of spirit, or 
the effect of a good retreat ; and was nothing but the result of 
the desperation of his heart ; the effect of that degree of cruelty 
and degradation to which the French hosts have arrived. A 
few companies in his rear were sufficient to set all the placos on 
fire through which they passed; but in many places the pursuing 
troops extinguished the fires a few minutes after these barbarians 
had kindled them. 

Sir William Beresford was also particularly active; and, 
having united his whole force at Portalcgre early in April, suc- 
ceeded iu an attack of the enemy at Campo Mayor under 
the famous Mortier, obliging them to retire across the Guadiaua 
with a very considerable loss.* 

Late iu March the allied army under Lord Wellington were 
collected in the vicinity aud iu front of Celorico, with a view to 

* A letter from an officer after the action says : 

'* Yesterday a French captain of dragoons brought over a trumpet, re- 
questing permission to search among the dead for his colonel — his regiment 
was a fine one, with bright brass helmets, and black horsehair, exactly like 
what the. old Romans are depicted with — manji of us went out with him — it 
was truly a bloody scene, being almost all sabre wounds; the slain were all 
naked, the peasants having stripped them in the night. It was long before 
we could find the French colonel — he was lying on his face, his naked body 
weltering in blood; and, as soon as he was turned up, the officer knew him, 
gave a sort of scream, and sprung off his horse, dashed his helmet on the 
ground, knelt by the body, took the bloody hand aud kissed it many times in 
an agony of grief: it was an affecting and awful scene. ff 

*■' 1 suppose there were about 600 naked dead bodies lying on the ground at 
one view — the French colonel was killed by a corporal of the 13th; fliis cor- 
poral had killed one of his men, and he was so enraged that he sallied out 
himself and attacked the corporal, who was well mounted and a good 
swordsman, as was the colonel himself— both defended for some time, the 
corporal cut him twice in the face, his helmet came off at the second, when 
the corporal slew him by a cut which nearly cleft his skull asunder, cutting ijn 
as deep as the nose through the brain." 
1 



247 

dislodge the enemy from the position which he had takea upon 
Guarda ; and on the 29th a large proportion of the British force 
having advanced in five columns, supported by the reserve and 
the Portuguese militia, the French array abandoned their position 
without firing a shot, and retired upon Sabugal, on the banks 
of the Coa, followed by the cavalry, who took many prisoners : 
several successive and successful attacks taking place upon their 
rear by the cavalry and horse artillery. 

Early in April the French army occupied j. position on the 
Upper Coa, ha ing their right at Rovina, and guarding the ford 
of Repoilla de Coa with a detachment at the bridge of Ferrerias : 
and their left at Sabugal, with a corps at Alfayates. 

The right of the British army was opposite Sabugal, and the 
left at the bridge of Ferrerias, nearly in contact Avith the enemy's 
right. 

In this position Lord Wellington determined upon an attack 
upon the rear guard ; and, as a preparatory step, ordered the 
Portuguese militia under General Trant and Colonel Wilson to 
cross the Coa below Almeida, for the purpose of threatening the 
communication of that place with Ciudad Rodrigo and the 
enemy's army. 

In this attack there were some difficulties to surmount, for the 
river Coa is difficult of access throughout its whole course : and 
the position which the enemy had taken was very strong, and 
could only be approached on the left. The troops were there- 
fore put in motion on the morning of the 3d of April, to turn the 
enemy's left above Sabugal, and to force the passage of the 
bridge of that town, with the exception of a small force 
which was left to observe the French posts at the bridge of 
Ferrerias. 

1 he enemy's rear guard were in a strong position, with their 
right upon a height immediately above the bridge and town of 
Sabugal, and their left extending along the road to Alfayates, to 
a height which commanded all the approaches to Sabugal, from 
the fords of the Coa, above the town. It was intended to turn 
the left of this corps; and accordingly the light division and 



• 248 

the cavalry under Major Generals Sir William Erskine and 
Slade were to cross the Coa at two fords on their right, a di- 
vision under General Pictou at a ford on the left, and the artil- 
lery at the bridge of Sabugal. 

A brigade of the light division were the first that crossed the 
Coa, With two squadrons of cavalry ; when part of the 95th, 
with some Portuguese, and supported by the 43d regiment, drove 
in the enemy's piquets ; but at this moment a storm of rain 
came on which rendered it impossible to see any thing, when 
these gallant troops, having pushed on in pursuit, came upon 
the left of the main body, which it had been intended they 
should turn. 

In consequence of this the light troops were driven back upon 
the 43d regiment; and as soon as the atmosphere became clear, 
the enemy having perceived that the body which had advanced 
were not strong, attacked them in a solid column, supported by 
cavalry and artillery. These troops, however, repulsed this attack, 
and advanced in pursuit upon the enemy's position, where they 
were attacked by a fresh column on their left, and were charged 
by the French hussars upon their right. On this they retired 
and took post behind a wall, from which post they again repulsed 
the enemy; and advanced a second time iu pursuit of them, and 
took from them a howitzer. They were, however, attacked 
by a fresh column with cavalry, when they retired to their post, 
where they were joined by the other light brigade. With this 
accumulation of force, they again advanced to the attack, when 
they were attacked by a fresh column with cavalry, which 
charged their right, and obliged them to take post in an 
enclosure upon the top of the height, from whence they could 
protect the howitzer which the 40th had taken, and from this they 
again drove back the enemy. 

The French were now making arrangements for a fresh attack 
upon this post, which Colonel Beckwith and his party had so 
gallantly defended, and had actually moved a column upon the 
left, when the light infantry of General Picton's brigade, sup- 
ported by the honourable General Colville with his brigade, opened 
their fire upon them. 



249 

At the same moment the head of Major General Dunlop't 
column crossed the bridge of the Coa, and ascended the heights 
on the right flank of the enemy ; and the cavalry at the same 
time appearing on the high ground in rear of their left, the whole 
of the enemy's force immediately retired across the hills towards 
Rondo, leaving the howitzer in the possession of those who had 
so gallantly gaiued and preserved it, and about two hundred 
killed on the ground, with six officers and three hundred pri- 
soners left in the hands of the allied army.* 

Finding themselves thus closely harassed, the enemy con- 
tinued their retreat during all the succeeding night and the next 
morning; and entered on the frouticrs of Spain on the 4th, thus 
leaving Portugal free. They continued their retreat, and crossed 
the Agueda a few days after; whilst the allied army took up 
their position upon the Duas Casas, a post which General Craw- 
ford had occupied with his advanced guard during the latter part 
of the preceding siege of Ciudad Rodrigo ; and the advanced 
posts were soon pushed as far forward as the banks of the 
Agueda. 

Lord Wellington, about the latter end of April, having made 
arrangements for the blockade of Almeida, and having reason to 
believe that the enemy's army would not be in a situation for some 
time to attempt the relief of that fortress, even if they should be 
so inclined, took the advantage of this momentary discontinuance 

* In noticing the occurrences of this day, Lord Wellington observed, that 
although the operations were, through unavoidable, accidents, not performed in 
the manner intended, yet that he considered the action fought by the light 
division, by Colonel Beckwith's brigade principally, with the whole of the 2d 
division of the French army, to be one of the most glorious that British troops 
were ever engaged in. 

It was impossible, he added, for any officer to conduct himself with more 
ability and gallantry than Colonel Beckwith. The action was commenced by 
an unavoidable accident to which alt operations are liable ; but having been 
commenced, it would have been impossible to withdraw from the ground 
without risking the loss of the object of the general movements ; and it was 
desirable to obtain possession, if possible, of the top of the hill, from which 
the enemy had made so many attacks with advantage, on the first position 
t aken up by the 430 regiment. 

:12 



250 



of active operations with respect to his own army, to proceed fox 
Estremadura to the corps under Sir William Beresford. In short, 
his active mind was everywhere, and he shrunk from no fatigue 
or privation to have his person everywhere also. 

With Sir William's army he found every thing in an active 
state, and a system of desultory warfare constantly carrying on 
to the great annoyance of the enemy. 

The operations of this early part of the campaign may thus 
be considered as decisive : and the brilliant successes of the 
allied army were celebrated by every demonstration of joy which 
could mark the gratitude of the Portuguese for the exertions ol' 
the British troops in their behalf, and the general satisfaction 
inspired by the salvation of their country. 

Te Deum was sung in all the churches; the city of Lisbon was 
splendidly illuminated ; and, iu addition to the general popular ex- 
pression, the regency sent the most complimentary addresses to 
Lord Wellington and Sir William Beresford. One great object 
of Lord Wellington, in his visit to the army in Estremadura, was 
to superintend the arrangements for the siege of Badajoz by. 
Marshal Beresford's army; and this being accomplished, he 
set off again on his return to his own troops on the banks of the 
kgueda°and Coa; about which time the town of Olivenza, 
after some spirited attacks, had surrendered to Major General 

Cole. 

The gallant affair of Fuente D'Honor was now approach- 
ing; it is necessary, therefore, to enter a little more into detail, 
ou'the anterior movements of the two armies; the affair being in 
itself so critical, as at one time to have given considerable ad- 
vantages to the French had they known how to profit of them; 
but all of which were immediately retrieved by the skill of the 
British general, and the gallantry of his army. 

On the 2d of May the enemy's whole force, consisting of three 
corps d'armee, and all the cavalry which they could possibly 
collect in Castile and Leon, including about nine hundred of the 
•imperial guard, crossed the Agueda at Ciudad Rodrigo. 

As Lord Wellington's object in maintaining a position between 



231 

Ore Coa and the Agueda, after the enemy had retired from tlu 
former, was to blockade Almeida, which place, he had learnt by 
intercepted letters, and other information, was ill supplied with, 
provisions for us garrison ; and, as the enemy was infinitely su- 
perior to the British army in cavalry, he did not give any oppo- 
sition to their march, and they passed the Azava on the evening 
mentioned, in the neighbourhood of Gallegos. 

On the 3d in the morning, they continued their march in three 
columus, towards Duas Casas ; two of wl^jh proceeded to the 
vicinity of Alameda and Fort Conception, and the third, consist- 
ing of the whole of the cavalry, and two other corps of infantry, 
proceeding straight forward. 

The allied army had been cantoned along the river Duas 
Casas, and on the sources of the Azava ; the light division being 
at Gallegos and Espeja. This last fell back upon Fuentes 
d'Honor, a village on the Duas Casas, with the British cavalry, 
in proportion as the enemy advanced, and the 1st, 3d, and 7th 
divisions were collected at that place; and the 6th division, under 
Major General Campbell, observed the bridge at Alameda; 
whilst Major General Sir William Erskiue, with the 5th division, 
was at the passages of the Duas Casas, at Fort Conception, and 
Aldea D'Obispo. Brigadier General Pack's brigade, with the 
Queen's regiment, kept the blockade of Almeida; and Lord 
Wellington prevailed on the gallant partizan, Don Julian Sanchez, 
to occupy Nave d' Avar with his corps of Spanish cavalry and 
infantry. 

The light division were moved in the evening to join General 
Campbell, upon finding that the enemy were in strength in that 
quarter and they were brought back again to Fuentes D'Honor 
on the morning of the 5th, when it was found that a corps of the 
enemy had proceeded to strengthen their left.. 

Shortly after the enemy had formed on the ground on the 
right of the Duas Casas, in the afternoon of the 3d, they attacked 
the village of Fuentes with a very large force ; but it was de- 
fended in the most gallant manner by a much inferior number, 
who maintained their position with great pers^verancp, when 



252 

Lord Wellington, whose eye was everywhere, having observed 
the repeated efforts which the enemy were making to obtain pos- 
session of the village, and being fully aware of the advantage 
which they would derive from that possession in their subsequent 
operations, immediately reinforced it in succession with the 
70th, 79th, and 24th regiments, when the honourable Lieutenant 
Colonel Cadogau, at the head of the 71st, charged the assailants, 
and drove them from the part of the village of which they had 
obtained momentary possession. 

Nearly at this time Lieutenant Colonel Williams, who com- 
manded in advance, was wounded, and the command devolved 
upon Lieutenant Colonel Cameron of the 79th. The contest con- 
tinued until night, when the British troops remained in possession 
of the entire village. 

Lord Wellington, judging that the 71st and 79th regiments, 
with the 2d battalion of the 24th to support them, were sufficient 
for the defence of the village, then withdrew the light in- 
fantry battalions and the 83d, for service in another part of his 
line. 

The enemy attempted nothing further on the 4th than to re- 
connoitre the positions which the British army had occupied on 
the Duas Casas river; and, during that night, they moved Ge- 
neral Junot's corps from Alameda to the left of the position occu- 
pied by the 6th corps, opposite to Fuentes. From the course of 
the reconnoissance of that day, Lord Wellington had imagined 
that the enemy would make another attempt to gain possession 
of Fuentes D'Honor, and of the ground occupied by the 
troops behind that village, by crossing the Duas Casas at Poya 
Velho ; he, therefore, in the evening, moved Major General 
Houstoun's division to the right, in order, if possible, to protect 
that passage. 

On the morning of the 5th a large body of the enemy appeared 
in two columns, with all the cavalry, on the opposite side of the 
valley of the Duas Casas to Poya Velho ; and as two other corps 
of the French also made a movement to their left, the light divi- 
sion, which had been brought back from the vicinity of Alameda, 



253 

was sent, with the cavalry under Sir Stapleton Cotton, to support 
General Houstoun's division ; whilst the 1st and 3d divisions of 
the British made a movement along the ridge between the Turon 
and Duas Casas rivers, corresponding to that of the two corps of 
the enemy. 

With an enemy so superior in numbers, the difficulty of de- 
fending so extended a line as the British were obliged to occupy, 
must have been very great ; for had they failed in any one part 
of it, or attempted to concentrate, they must have been turned ; 
and, perhaps, defeated; it is not, therefore, too much to say, that 
the prudence and prescience of Lord Wellington, with respect to 
every hostile movement, and the activity and alertness of the 
troops in executing his counteracting manoeuvres, were more 
worthy of admiration on this occasion than even the personal 
gallantry displayed by all. 

The general action now commenced by the 8th corps of the 
French attacking General Houstoun's advanced guard consisting 
of the 85th regiment under Major M'Intosh, and the 2d Portu- 
guese Caeadores under Lieutenant Colonel Nixon. These corps 
were shortly after obliged to retire ; but they did it in good or- 
der, though with some loss : and the enemy's corps being thus 
established at Poya Velho, they availed themselves of this advan- 
tage, by sending forward their cavalry to turn the light of the 7th 
British division, between Poya Velho and Nave d'Avar, from 
which place Don Julian Sanchez had been obliged to retire. 

This was a most critical moment for the British army ; but, 
without hazarding an observation, we shall simply state tlie judi- 
cious movements which checked its consequences, and turned 
the fortune of the day. 

The cavalry who had turned the post occupied by General 
Houstoun immediately charged ; but their advanced guard was 
met by two or three squadrons of the different regiments of Bri- 
tish dragoons, and instantly driven back, leaving Colonel La 
Motte of the 13th chasseurs, and some other prisoners. At the 
same moment their main body was checked and obliged to retire 
by the well directed fire of Major General Houstoun's division. 



■254 

During the whole of this business Lord Wcllingtoa was on the 
spot, and afterwards spoke in high terms of the conduct of the 
Chasseurs Britanniques, and of a detachment of the Duke oj 
Brunswick's light infantry. He saw the charge repulsed ; he 
immediately concentrated part of the British force towards the 
left, and moved the 7th and light divisions, and the cavalry, from 
Poya Velho towards Fuentes dTIonor, and the other two divi- 
sions. To the prudence of Lord Wellington in thus concentra- 
ting his line, we may say that the safety of the British army was 
in a great measure owing ; whilst the steadiness of the troops pre- 
sented such a front to the enemy, as effectually checked them 
from taking advantage of the moment to make an attack in force. 
Indeed, they were sufficiently occupied in another part of the 
line; and the event fully justified the commander in chief; for 
he had extended his line to the occupation of Poya Velho and 
its vicinity, in hopes that he should be able to maintain the com- 
munication across the Coa by Sabugal, as well as provide for the 
blockade, which objects he now saw were incompatible with each 
other; and he, therefore, abandoned that which was the least im- 
portant, placing the light division in reserve, in the rear of the 
left of the 1st division, on some commanding ground beyond the 
Turon, which protected the right flank and rear of that division, 
covered the communication with the Coa, and prevented that of 
the enemy with Almeida, by the roads between the Turon and 
that river. 

His lordship himself very candidly allowed in his despatches 
that the circumstances were very critical ; but the movements of 
the troops were most admirably conducted by Generals Hous- 
toun, Crawford, and Cotton; as the 7th division was covered on 
its passage of the Turon, by the light division under General 
Crawford, whilst it, in its turn, was covered by the British 
cavalry, in its march to join the 1st division of the army. 

The British army noir took up entirely a new position, ex- 
tending along the lrgh ground from the Turon to the Duas Ca- 
sas. This disposition was most admirable ; every part of the 
Ibe forming a mutual defence to the next, and vice versa. For 
4 



255 

the 7th division, on the left of the Turon, covered the rear of the 
right;, the 1st diyisioD, in two lines, were on the right; Colonel 
Ashworth's brigade, in two lines, in the centre ; and the 3d divi- 
sion, in two lines, on the left. The light division and British 
cavalry were in reserve ; and the village of Fuentes d'Honor ou 
the left of all. 

Such confidence did Lord Wellington now place on this new 
arrangemeut, that when Don Julian Sanchez's* infantry joined the 
7 th division in Freueda, he immediately sent him with his cavalry 
to endeavour to interrupt the enemy's communication with Ciudad 
Rodrigo. The enemy, too, were fully sensible of the military im- 
portance of these movements; for, from this moment, all their 
efforts on the right were confined to a cannonade, and to some 
trifling charges of their cavalry upon the advanced posts. 

In one of these affairs, a very serious repulse was given to the 
enemy, by the piquets of the 1st division, under Lieutenant Colo- 
nel Hill of the 3d regiment of guards ; but, as they were after- 
wards falling back, they did not see the direction of another in 
sufficient time to form and oppose it, and Lieutenant Colonel Hill 
was taken prisoner, and many men were wounded, and some 
taken, before a detachment of the British cavalry could move up 
to their support. 

Immediately after, the 2d battalion of the 42d under Lord 

*The exertions of the guerillas were still active and unceasing; among 
others was Don Julian, or Hulian as the Spaniards call him, who is captain 
general of one district. He has long heen the tenor of the French, and the 
hope of his own countrymen. 

He had his father, mother, and siutcr, murdered hy the French ; and has,, 
like Hannibal, sworn eternal hatred to them, whether in peace or war. After 
being expelled from the patrimony of his ancestors, it was not long before he 
had an opportunity of avenging the death of his relatives. Returning with his 
band of guerillas from the mountains, he found a French colonel, who had been 
a great aggressor in that part of the country ; and, upbraiding him for his num- 
berless cruelties, told him that he was Don Julian, who had now the satisfac- 
tion of putting a stop to his villanies, and sending him to another tribunal to 
account for thero. This was in the same house in which his father was 
murdered. 



256 

Blantyre also repulsed a heavy charge of the cavalry directed 
against them. m 

The enemy also made an attempt to push a body of light in 
fantry down the ravine of the Turon, to the right of the 1st divi- 
sion ; but this was repulsed by the light infantry of the guards, 
under Lieutenant Colonel Guise, assisted by five companies of 
the 95th under Captain O'Hara. 

Thus were they completely checked upon the right; but their 
principal effort, throughout the whole of the day, was directed 
against Fuentes d'Honor. Here, however, although the whole of 
their six corps were at different periods of the day employed to 
attack it, they could never gain more than a temporary posses- 
sion of it. It was defended by the 24th, 71st, and 79th regi- 
ments, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Cameron, sup- 
ported by some light infantry battalions, the piquets. of the 3d 
division, and the Portuguese corps. Here again, as in the pre- 
ceding attack on a former day, the commanding officer was 
wounded, when the defence devolved upou the honourable Lieute- 
nant Colonel Cadagan, who had distinguished himself so nobly by 
charging at the head of the 71st regiment, on the preceding day. 

The troops defending Fuentes were besides supported, when 
pressed by the enemy, by the 74th and 88th ; and on one of these 
occasions, the 88th, with the 71st and 79th, under the command 
of Colonel Mackinnon, charged the enemy and drove them 
through the village. 

In this quarter the contest lasted til! night, wheu the British 
troops were in full possession of the village ; after which, the 
enemy, completely repulsed on all sides, attempted no further at- 
tacks upon the British positions. So signal was their defeat, for 
defeat it certainly was, that iu the course of the night of the 9th 
they commenced a retrograde movement from their position at 
Duas Casas ; and, at daylight in the morning of the 8th, the 
whole French army was in motion. 

Such was the state of affairs, however, that Lord Wellington 
could not immediately decide whether this movement was pre* 
paratory to some fresh attempt to raise the blockade of Almeida* 



257 

which the British force still kept up, or one of decided retreat ; 
but such was his confidence in his gallant few, that he had every 
reason to hope they would not succeed in the first, and would 
therefore be obliged to have recourse to the last. It was indeed 
impossible for him to adopt any absolutely offensive measures 
against them in this movement ; for their superiority in cavalry 
was very great, owing to the weak state of the English horses 
from recent fatigue and scarcity of forage ; he judged, therefore, 
that the result of a general action brought on by an attack of the 
enemy by the British army might, under these circumstances, 
have been doubtful ; aud if the enemy had chosen to avoid it, or 
if they had met it, they would, in either case, have taken advan- 
tage of the concentration of the British army for the purpose of 
fighting the action, to throw relief into Almeida. 

In the whole of this business at Fuentes the actions were par- 
tial ; yet, from the great numerical superiority of the enemy, the 
British loss was very great.* 

No officers of rank were either killed or wounded, however, 
except those mentioned in the course of the narrative ; and the 
whole numerical loss of the British and Portuguese, during the 
.several attacks, amounted to 193 killed, 1,030 Avounded, and 29 1 
missing. 

The evident superiority of the British now in the Peninsula, 
though outnumbered, may be drawn from the fact, that, at thi9 
very period, Sir William Beresford was enabled to invest Bada- 
joz on the left side of the Guadiana, and to begin to collect 
stores for the attack of that place; and further, by the circum- 
stances of the enemy, under Massena, having retired on the 8th 
to the woods between Espega, Gallegos, and Fuentes d'Honor, in 

* The city of London on the 9th of May not only voted thanks to Lord 
Wellington and the gallant army under his command, but also agreed to 
present him with an elegant sword, value iOO guineas. Some objections in- 
deed were made to this measure, but it was at length finally carried in spite 
of all invidious opposition. 

Thanks also were voted by the two houses of the legislature, and every de- 
monstration of public joy and public honours manifested, as some reward for 
such a long series of heroic gallantry. 

33 



which position their whole army was concentrated on the follow 
ing day, when, on the evening of the 9th, the whole broke up 
and retired across the Azava, covering their retreat by their nu> 
merous cavalry, and crossing the Agueda on the 20th, thereby 
leaving Almeida to its fate. 

As a proof of the consequences of his victory, Lord Welling- 
ton immediately established his advanced posts upon the Azava 
and on the Lower Agueda, whilst the main body of his army 
were put into cantonnreDts on the Duas Casas.*' 

* Almeida was now left to the attacks of the allied army ; it was indeed not 
tenable against a regular siege, but a very well conducted maneeuvre on the 
part of its small garrison deserves notice ; for on the *0th in the evening, 
the 6th division having resumed the blockade, Major General Sir William 
Erskine was ordered to send a battalion to Barba del Puerco to guard the 
bridge there, which had been previously ordered on that service; but about 
one in the morning of the I 'th, the garrison blew up some mines which they 
had constructed in the works, and immediately attacked the piquets by which 
they were observed, and forced their way through them. They fired but 
little, and they appeared to have marched between the bodies of troops posted 
to support the piquets ; and in particular could not have passed far from the 
j-'ight of the Queen's regiment. l 

Upon the first alarm, Brigadier General Pack, who was at Malapartida, 
joined the piquets, and continued to follow and fire upon the retiring garri- 
son, as a guide for the bodies of troops posted to support the piquets in the 
blockade ; whilst Major General Campbell marched from Malapartida with 
a part of the 'st battalion of the 36th. But the garrison continued their 
march in a solid compact body without firing, and were well guided between 
the positions occupied by the British troops. 

It happened unfortunately, too, that the 4th regiment, which was ordered 
to occupy Barba del Puerco, missed the road, and did not arrive there until 
the fugitives had reached the place, and commenced the passage of the bridge. 
At this moment, however, fresh troops came up, who had followed the firing, 
and the enemy suffered a considerable loss in killed, wounded, and prisoners, 
but the plan had been so well concerted, that part of the 2d corps of the 
enemy, which were in St. Felices, formed upon the river to protect their 
passage as soon as tbey heard the firing, and some of our troops who had 
Crossed the river were obliged to retire with loss. 

It appears that this plan had been some time in agitation ; as, for several 
nights before, the garrison had repeatedly fired cannon in the night, and had 
made several feigned sorties to produce a fire of musketry, so that when this 
r etreat actually took place, great part of the British troops considered it as 
nothing more than a series of the same proceedings. 



25S 

On the night of the 15th of May, Lord Wellington received 
despatches from Sir William Beresford, informing him that 
Marshal Sou.lt had broken up from Seville, and had advanced 
towards Estremadura, notwithstanding the reports which had 
been industriously spread, that he was busily occupied in 
strengthening Seville^ and that all his measures indicated an in- 
tention to remain on the defensive in Andalusia. 

Without a moment's delay, his lordship set out on the follow- 
ing morning for Villa Fermosa, and arrived at Elvason the 19th, 
when he fouud that Sir William Beresford, in consequence of 
Soult's advance, had raised the siege of Badajoz, but without the 
loss of ordnance, or stores of any description, and having formed 
a junction with the Spanish Generals Castanos and Blake at Al- 
buera on the 15th,* had repulsed Marshal Soult, with great loss 
to the assailants. 



* After the battle of Almeida, Lord Wellington rode to Elvas, but arrived 
the morning after the affair at Badajoz His wish was so great to be present, 
that he killed three horses in the journey, which he performed in three days. 
On his arrival at a river, he found a bridge, which he had ordered to be con- 
structed, not ready, and he swam his horse across ; the stream was very rapid, 
and the two dragoons who followed him were drowned. His lordship was 
saved by the superior strength of his horse. 

On the 16th of May, three days previous to his lordship's arrival at Elvas, 
every measure was taken to receive the enemy under Soult, who had appeared 
in front on the preceding evening, and the whole allied force was formed in 
two lines, nearly parallel to the river Albuera, on the ridge of the gradual 
ascent rising from that river, and covering the roads to Badajoz and Val- 
verde. 

The enemy, in the morning of the 16th, did not long delay his attack; at 
eight o'clock he was observed to be in movement, and his cavalry was seen 
passing the rivulet of Albuera considerably above the right of the allies, and 
shortly after he marched out of the opposite wood a strong force of cavalry, 
and two heavy columns of infantry, pointing them to the front of the line, as 
if to attack the village and bridge of Albuera : during this time, under cover 
of his vastly superior cavalry, he was filing the principal body of his infantry 
over the river beyond the right, and it was not long before his intention ap- 
peared to be to turn the allies by that flank, and cut them off from Valverde. 
Major General Cole's division was therefore o. dered to form an oblique line 
to the rear of the right, with his own right thrown back, and the intention of 



260 

Towards the latter end of May, the British army haring as- 
sembled at Campo Ma)or, Lord Wellington issued orders for 

the enemy to attack on the right becoming now evident, Marshal Beresford 
requested General Blake to form part of his first line, and all his second, to that 
front, which was done. 

Soult commenced the attack at nine o'clock, not ceasing at the same time 
to menace the left ; and, after a strong and gallant resistance of the Spanish 
troops, he gained the heights upon which they had been formed. At this 
critical moment, the divisions of General Stewart and Hamilton were brought 
up to the left of the Spanish line', and formed in contiguous close columns of 
battalions, so asto be moveable in any direction, whilst the P >rtuguese cavalry, 
under General Otway t remained at some distance on the left, to check any 
attempt of the enemy below the village. 

As the heights the enemy bad gained raked and entirely commanded the 
whole allied position, it became necessary to make every effort to retake and . 
maintain them, and a noble one was made by the division of General Stew- 
art, headed by that gallant officer. 

Nearly at the beginning of the enemy's attack, a heavy storm of rain came 
on, which, with the smoke of the firing, rendered it impossible to discern 
any thing distinctly. This, with the nature of the ground, had been extreme- 
ly favourable to the enemy, in forming his columns, and in his subsequent 
attack. These circumstances, too, operated very unfortunately at this mo- 
ment, when the right brigade of General Stewart's division under Lieute- 
nant Colonel Colbourne first came into action, and behaved in the most gal- 
lant manner, and finding that the enemy's column could not be shaken by 
tbeir fire, proceeded to attack it with the bayonet; but, while in the act of 
charging, a body of Polish lancers, (cavalry,) which the obscurity of the at- 
mosphere, and the nature of the ground had concealed, ;and which was, be- 
sides, mistaken by those of the brigade when discovered for Spanish cavalry, 
and therefore not fired upon," 1 turned the brigade, which, being thus attacked 
unexpectedly in the rear, was unfortunately broken, and suffered immensely. 
The 3 st regiment, being the eft one of the brigade, alone escaped thin 
charge ; and under the command of Major L'Estrange, kept its ground until 
t he arrival of the 3d brigade under Major General Houghton. The conduot 
of this brigade was most conspicuously gallant, the brave major general fall- 
ing, pierced by wounds, whilst cheering his men to the charge** 
Though the enemy's principal attack was on this point of the right, he also 

** During the hottest of the action, an officer, Ensign Thomson, was call- 
ed on to surrender the colours he held ; but he declared he would give 
them up only with his life, and he fella victim to his bravery. Another offi- 
cer, Ensign Welch, had the colour-staff he held brokeu by a cannon ball, and 



261 

the close investment of Badajoz on the right bank of the Gau- 
diana, in addition to the former investment by Sir William Bf res- 
ford on the left bank, and determined to recommence the opera- 
made a continual attempt upon that part of the original front towards the 
village and bridge, which were defended in the most gallant manner by Major 
General Baron \lten, and the light infantry brigade of the German Legion, 
whose conduct was remarkably steady throughout. This point now formed 
the left of the allied army, and General Hamilton's division had been brought 
up there, he being left to direet its defence. 

"When the infantry attempted to force the allied line, the enemy's cavalry 
also endeavoured to turn it; but his endeavours were completely out-manoeu- 
vred by the allied cavalry, though much inferior in number, directed by the 
honourable Major General Lumley. 

At this moment the fortune of the day, if not turned, was at least wonder- 
fully aided by a most judicious movement of Major General Cole, who brought 
up his left, marching in line to attack the left of the encmv, and arrived most 
opportunely to contribute, with the charges of the brigades of General Stew- 
art's d'vision, to force the enemy to abandon his situation on the heights, and 
retire precipitately, and to take refuge under his reserve. 

The retreating corps of the assailants were pursued by the allies to a consi- 
derable distance ; and, indeed, as far as Sir William Beresford thought it pru- 
dent, considering the vast superiority of cavalry which the enemy possessed; 
he, therefore, contented himself with seeing them driven across the Mbuera. 
Though beaten in his main attack, Soult still continued that near tbe ' ijlage ; 
on that side, however, he was never able to make the slightest impression, nor 
even to cross the rivulet, although a great proportion of the troops had been 

was also severely wounded, having fallen on the field ; he tore the colours 
from the staff, and thrust them into his bosom, where they were found after 
his death. 

Sir William Beresford was also attacked by one of the Polish cavalry, 
whom he dismounted with the intention of preserving his life ; but the man 
persisting in his first design, was at length killed by a dragoon. 

When these Polish lancers make a charge, a red flag i3 suspended at the 
end of every lance, and that flag is so carried by the rider as to prevent the 
horse from seeing any other object. These red flags, during the action, ter- 
rified the British horses, and rendered every effort impracticable to make 
them meet the charge. 

The Polish lancers committed great cruelties upon our wounded, putting 
several of them to death ; but they were themselves overtaken during the 
retreat by the 3d and 14th dragoons, who killed and cut down a considerable 
number of them. 



262 

lions of the siege. It was accordingly invested on the 25th oi 
May, and ground broken on the night of the 29th, the ordnance 
and stores for the siege having theu been brought up. 

drawn away to support the point of the main attack ; but when defeated in 
this latter quarter, his attempts upon the left ceased also. 

Of this brilliant business General Beresford observed, that it was impossi- 
ble to enumerate every instance of discipline and valour shown on this severe- 
ly contested day ; but never were troops that more valiantly or more glo- 
riously maintained the honour of their respective countries. Of the Spanish 
■troops the behaviour was most gallant and honourable ; and, though from the 
superior number and weight of the enemy's force, that part of them that 
•were in the position attacked were obliged to cede the ground, yet it was after 
m. gallant resistance, and they continued in good order to support their 
allies. 

The action itself commenced, as has been stated, at nine o'clock, and con- 
tinued without interruption until two in the afternoon, when the enemy being 
driven over the Albuera, there was nothing during the remainder of the day 
but skirmishing and cannonading. The French left on the field of battle 
about two thousand dead, and lost about one thousand prisoners ; besides five 
generals killed and wounded : they having commenced the action with about 
twenty -two thousand infantry^ four thousand cavalry, and a numerous and 
heavy artillery. 

The general total of the British on this day amounted to 870 killed, 2,722 
wounded, and 554 missing, great part of whom afterwards returned ; whilst 
that of the Portuguese was 104 killed, 262 wounded, and about 30 missing. 

The only officers of high rank of the British killed, were Major General 
Houghton, and Lieutenant Colonels Sir William Myers, of the 7th regiment, 
and Duckworth, (the former dying of Ids wounds,) but the number of 
wounded was very great, amongst whom were the two Generals Cole and 
Stewart; besides Lieutenant Colonels' Blakeney, White, Inglis, and many 
other gallant officers- 

After the battle, the enemy retired to the ground he had been formerly on ; 
but so much afraid of an attack as to occupy it in position ; and during the 
night lie thought proper to retreat by the road he came towards Seville, 
leaving Badajoz to its fate, and a number of wounded to the humanity 
of the conquerors, who administered to them every assistance in their 
power. 

On the part of the allies, though their loss was severe, yet it was unavoida_ 
ble, and they completely reaped the advantage which they expected by their 
apposition to the attempts of the enemy, who whilst forced to abandon the 
object for which he had almost stripped Andalusia of troops, instead of hav- 

4 



263 

in the early part of June the operations were carried on with 
rigour, so that by the 6th of that mouth two breaches had been 
made, but neither of them practicable for an assault. 

On the 6th, the fire from the outwork of St. Christoval beiog 
considered as likely to impede the progress of the siege, Lord 
Wellington directed that an attempt should be made to carry it 
by storm that night. Major General Houstoun, who conducted 
the operation on the right of the Guadiana, accordingly ordered 
a detachment under Major Macintosh, of the 85th regiment, to 
proceed on that service. The troops advanced under a very 
heavy fire of musketry and hand grenades from the outwork, 
and of shot and shells from the town, with the utmost intrepidity, 
and the best order to the bottom of the breach, the advanced 
guard being led by Ensign Dyas of the 51st regiment, who vo- 
lunteered to perform that duty ; but they found that the enemy 
had cleared the rubbish from the bottom of the escarpe ; and, 
notwithstanding that they were provided with ladders, it was 
impossible to mount it, and they retired with loss. After three 
days' continual cannonade, the breach in the wall of St. Chris- 
toval again appearing practicable, his lordship directed that a 
second attempt should be made on the night of the 9th, and 
another detachment was ordered for the service under the com- 
mand of Major M'Geachy,of the 17th Portuguese regiment, when 
Ensign Dyas again volunteered to lead the advance ; but, on ad- 
vancing at nine at night, they met with the same opposition as 
before, and on their arrival at the foot of the breach, found that 
the rubbish had been a second time completely cleared away. 
Major MGeachy was killed and several of the other officers 
fell ; yet the troops still maintained their position, although to 

ing accomplished the haughty Toasts with which he had harangued his troopS 
on leaving Seville, had nothing left but to return, to that city with a dimi- 
nished army, and with a decreasing reputation. 

By subsequent accounts, intercepted letters from General Gazan, who was 
left to conduct the retreat of such of the wounded as could march, amount- 
ing to four thousand, it appeared that the sum total of the enemy's loss i* 
kille.d, woundedj and prisoners, was not less (ban nine thousand men. 



264 

mount was impracticable, until Major General Houstoun sent 
orders for them to retire. 

Lord Wellington must have been doubtless chagrined by these 
disappointments, for he had expected to reduce the place before 
the latter end of June ; and he was naturally anxious to accom- 
plish it by that time, as he then expected that Marshal Soult 
would receive such reinforcemeuts as would enable him to make 
movements against the besieging army. 

His lordship now found that the necessary works to insure 
the capture of the place would require a labour of several days 
to complete; and, en the morning of the 10th, he received ac- 
counts that Soult was then in full force, having received consider- 
able reinforcements even at that early period. He also re- 
ceived accounts which left no doubt of the destination of the 
French army to the southward, and that their arrival was ex- 
pected at Merida on the 1 5th ; he, therefore, found it necessary 
to order the siege to be raised, as he had not a sufficient force to 
carry on its operations, and at the same time to watch the move- 
ments of an overwhelming army ; though he still determined to 
maintain the blockade. 

About the middle of June the French army had advanced to- 
wards Badajoz; but even then they began to feel the effects of 
bringing together their whole force, as even at that early period 
they were straitened for provisions, and kept much in check by 
the positions of the allies. 

As it was now deemed of great importance to draw off the pres- 
sure and attack of the French armies from the Spanish troops, 
Lord Wellington having returned about September to the north- 
ern frontier of Portugal, made an advance with his army for the 
purpose of threatening Ciudad Rodrigo. 

By this manoeuvre he expected not only to relieve the various 
Spanish armies from the overwhelming pressure of the French, 
but also to compel the French armies to concentrate and again 
advance into a ravaged country, where they would meet with but 
little subsistence. 

In fact this seems to have been a part of his general plan. 



26a 

which was always to keep the enemy on the alert, and nevev to 
permit it for any length of time to separate into distinct corps, or 
to spread itself in detachments so as to facilitate the means of 
support and forage. By this means he constantly kept his own 
army also in an active and healthy stale, as his supplies from 
Lisbon and Oporto were always certain whilst Britain was the 
mistress of the ocean. 

Under all these considerations, he was certain of either an- 
noying the French army to the whole proposed extent, or of 
gainiug possession of Ciudad Bodrigo if they should not choose 
to advtnce; in either of which cases an object of importance 
would be attained. 

The French chose, however, to adopt the former alternative' 
and accordingly advanced in great force from Salamanca towards 
Fueute Guinaldo. 

It is unnecessary to trace all the movements of the hostile 
armies until the 4th of September, when Lord Wellington com- 
menced the blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo;* but this he was obliged 
to raise on the 25th of September, being then in the presence of 
a very superior enemy, having previously, on the 21st of that 
month, collected the British army in positions from which he 
could either advance or retire without difficulty; anil which 
would enable him to see all that was going on, and the strength 
of the enemy's army. 

With this intention, a part of the British army occupied the 
range of heights on the left of the Agueda, having their advanced 
guards within three miles of Ciudad Rodrigo; another division 
was at Fuente Guinaldo, where Lord Wellington had ordered a 
position to be strengthened with some works ; the light division 
was on the right of Agueda, having their right resting upon the 
mountains which separate Castile and Estremadura; Lieutenant 
Colonel Graham with the left of the army was posted on the 
Lower Azava; whilst the sixth division, with Major General 
Anson's brigade of cavalry, was at Espeja, Carpio Marialva, &c. 

Mareschal del Campo Don Carlos d'Espagne observed the 
Lower Agueda with Don Julian Sanchez's cavalry and infantry : 
34 



266 

whilst Lieutenant General Sir Stapleton Cotton, with a large pro- 
portion of the cavalry, was on the Upper Azava in the centre, 
with General Pack's brigade at Campillo, and rather in advance ; 
the 5th division being in observation, in the rear of the right, at 
the pass of Perales, in consequence of the French General Foy 
having remained and collected a body of troops iu Upper Eslre- 
madura. 

The enemy first appeared in the plain near Ciudad Rodrigo, 
on the 23d, and retired again in a short time; but, on the 24th in 
the morning, they advanced again in considerable force, and en- 
tered the plaiu by the roads of St. Spiritus and Tenebron ; and 
before e\\ ning they had collected there all their cavalry to the 
amount of about 6,000 men, and four divisions of infantry, of 
which one division were of the imperial guard ; and the remain- 
der of their armies were encamped on the Guadapero, imme- 
diately beyond the hills which surround the plain of Ciudad 
Rodrigo. 

On the morning of the 25th every thing seemed to threaten a 
serious attack, and the French began by sending a reconnoissance 
of cavalry towards the Lower Azava, consisting of about four- 
teen squadrons of the imperial guard, and these drove in the 
English posts on the right of the river; but on their passing it, 
the Lanciers de Berg were charged by two squadrons of the 1 6th 
and one of the 14th light dragoons, and driven back. Ashamed 
of being checked by such an inferior force, they attempted to rally 
and to return, but were fired upon briskly by the light infantry 
of the 61st, who had been posted in the wood by Lieutenant 
General Graham, when General Anson drove them across the 
river, and afterwards resumed his own posts on that side. 

But the enemy's attention was principally directed during the 
day to the position of the 3d division on the hills, between 
Fuente Guinaldo and Pastores. About eight in the morniug 
they moved a column consisting of between thirty and forty 
squadrons of cavalry, and fourteen battalions of infantry, with 
twelve pieces of cannon, from Ciudad Rodrigo, in such a dircctiou 
as made it doubtful whether they would attempt to ascend the 



267 

hills by Enema Jil Bodon, or by the direct road to Fuente Gui- 
naldo, and Lord Wellington was kept for a few moments in a state 
of indecision, until a forward movement showed the direction of 
their march, when he immediately reinforced the post on the hill, 
over which the road passes to Guiualdo. 

In the mean time, however, the small body of troops at the post 
gallantly sustained the whole attack of the enemy's cavalry and 
artillery. One regiment of French dragoons succeeded, indeed, 
in taking two pieces of artillery which had been posted on a rising 
ground on the right of the British advance; but they were im- 
mediately charged by the 2d battalion of the 5th regiment, under 
the command of Major Ridge, and the guns retaken. 

Whilst this operation was going on in the flank, an attack was 

made on the front by another regiment, which was repulsed in a 

imilar manner by the 77th regiment; and the three squadrons 

of General Alton's cavalry repeatedly charged different bodies of 

the enemy as they ascended the hill. 

At length the divisions of the enemy's infantry which had pro- 
ceeded from Ciudad Kodrigo, being brought up to the attack on 
the road of Fuente Guinaldo, and Lord Wellington, seeing that 
ihey would arrive and be engaged before the coming up of the 
reinforcements he had ordered, determined to withdraw this ad- 
vanced post, and to retire with the whole upon Fuente Guinaldo.* 

* " Marched at 4 A . M from Pao, through Havas and towards Aldeade 
i'onte — when, just in the midst of our cookery, (he alarm was given that the 
French were approaching, in great force, on the other side of the town, and 
which was confirmed by *n instantaneous discharge of cannon and musketry. 
The beef and soup were thrown in every direction, and we stood fo our 
arms. Two companies were ordered to a stone wall in front, to protect the 
movements of the division in their formation. In this position we waited the 
approach of the enemy. I should observe, it was an enclosed field with stone 
walls, and very well adapted to the operations of infantry and light troops. 
The attention of the enemy was however called offby a divisiou to the left of 
ours, and General Dunlop thought if advisable to remove to a more advanta- 
geous position, and more protected from cavalry. We therefore moved upon 
a hill on the left, and formed in close columns, to support the division then en- 
gaged, if necessary. General Picton's division were likewise in reserve at 
nearly a similar distance-. 



268 

lo performing this critical manoeuvre, the 2d battalion of the 
5th regiment, and the 77th, were formed into one solid square, 
and the 21st Portuguese regiment into another, supported by 
Major General Alten's small body of cavalry, and the Portuguese 
artillery. 

The enemy's cavalry immediately rushed forward, and being 
so superior in numbers, obliged the British cavalry to retire to 
the support of the Portuguese regiment,- and at the same moment, 
the 5th and 77th were charged on three faces of the square by 
the French cavalry; but they halted and repulsed the attack 
with the utmost steadiness and gallantry. 

This repulse was decisive; the whole of the rear guard con- 
tinued its retreat and joined the remainder of the third division, 
which was also formed id squares on their march to Fuente Gui- 
naldo; and the whole retired together in the utmost order, the 
enemy never attempting to make another charge upon them, but 

" We had here an opportunity of calmly beholding a field of battle as spec- 
tators, and a most unpleasant spectacle to my feelings it was ; not a man but 
anxiously wished that it might become general. Our guns appeared to be most 
advantageously placed on the skirts of a wood ; their force in cavalry outnum- 
bered ours exceedingly. For some time each side manoeuvred as coolly as on a 
parade ; sometimes advancing,covered by light troops ; and sometimes retreat- 
ing. 

" After skirmishing in this manner for nearly two hours, a very heavy 
column of the enemy were seen advancing over a hill in their rear, which 
seemed likely to make matters assume a more serious aspect. They advan- 
ced boldly against our guns, and received a shell, which deranged them a lit- 
tle, by bursting in the midst of them. They still, however, advanced ; but, on 
a second shell being thrown with equal effect, they went to the right about, 
without again approaching our artillery. The skirmishers were frequently 
very hotly engaged; the royal dragoons and the llth light were the only 
cavalry in the field, and the former absolutely offered battle to three French 
regiments of cavalry, superior in numbers. The royals admirably maintained 
the character they have so justly gained in this country; and the French ap- 
peared to admit their own inferiority, and to feel the effects of the 25th, though 
we had retreated. Our men, though fatigued and hungry, and without even 
wine or spirits, were anxious to engage, and were hammering their flints, and 
making all their usual preparations. 

" There were some Irish lads, whose conversation was truly laughable". 

Journal of an officer. 



269 

contenting themselves with following at a respectful distancr, 
though keeping up a fire from the artillery. 

The whole British army was now in position upon Fuente 
Guinaldo, and the whole of the force so posted as to be en echelon^ 
of which the centre was in the position of Guinaldo, the right 
upon the pass of Perales, and the left Nave d'Aver. 

Even here, though in a defensive position, Lord Wellington 
did not desist from harassing the enemy as much as in his 
power, having at this very period detached Don Julian Sanchez, 
with a large body of cavalry, to the enemy's rear. 

In the afternoon of the 25th the enemy brought up more in- 
fantry from Ciudad Rodrigo, and in the course of that night 
and of the 26th they collected the whole of their army in front of 
the British positions ; on which his lordship, not deeming it 
expedient to stand their attack in that place, retired about three 
leagues towards Alfayates, and Aldea de Ponte, the piquets of the 
cavalry being in front of the latter place. 

It had been the enemy's intention to turn the left of the posi- 
tion of Guinaldo, by moving a column into the valley of the Up- 
per Azava, and thence ascending the heights in the rear of the 
position by Castellegos; and from this column they detached a 
division of infantry, and fourteen squadrons of cavalry, to follow 
the British line of retreat by Albergaria, whilst another body of 
the same strength followed by Furcalhos. The former attacked 
the piquets of the cavalry at Aldea de Ponte, and drove them 
in ; and they pushed on nearly as far as Alfayates ; but Lord 
Wellington immediately ordered General Pakenham to attack 
them with his brigade, supported by General Cole, and Sir Sta- 
pleton Cotton with the cavalry, when the assailants were driven 
back through Aldea de Ponte, upon Albergaria, and the piquets 
of the British cavalry resumed their stations. 

But the enemy having been now reinforced by the troops 
which marched upon Furcalhos, again advanced, about sunset, 
and drove in the piquets of the cavalry from Aldea de Ponte 
and took possession of that village. 



270 

Aldea now became the scene of contention; for General Cole 
immediately attacked with apart of General Pakenham's brigade, 
and drove them through the village ; but night coming on, and 
General Pakenham being uncertain of what Avas passing on his 
flanks, or of the numbers of the enemy, and indeed knowiug also 
that it was Lord Wellington's intention to fall back with the 
main body still further, he evacuated the village, which the 
enemy reoccupied during the night. 

On the 23th Lord Wellington formed his army on the heights 
behind Soito, the right being extended to the Sierra das Mesas, 
whilst the left was at Renda on the Coa, about one league in the 
rear of the position which they had occupied on the preceding 
day. Beyond this, however, he had no further occasion to re- 
tire; for the enemy, instead of advancing, also began to retire, 
evacuating Aldea de Ponte on that day, and placing their advan- 
ced posts at Alhergaria, on which his lordship began to canton 
his troops in this position, in consequence of the expected bad 
weather at the equinox, and from understanding also that the 
enemy were actually about to retire. * 

We have thus seen that Lord Wellington was forced to give up 
his blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo; indeed he owned himself that he 
could not pretend to maintain its block-.de, nor make any efforts 
to prevent, or even materially to impede, the collection of sup- 
plies, or the march of the French convoy for the relief of that 
place. 

This if lief was indeed the great object of the enemy ; and for 
that purpose titer were obliged to collect and concentrate all 
their troops, thereby relieving all the Spanish corps who were 
hard pressed in other quarters, and forming in the whole an 
army of sixty thousand men, of which six thousand were cavahy : 
with one hundred and twenty-five pieces of artillery. 

* Amidst the great mass of praise bestowed by Lis lordship in hia des- 
patches, he observed that his Serene Highness the Hereditary Prince of 
Orange accompanied him during the various operations, and though it was 
i he first time of his being in fire, yet lie conducted himself with a degree of 
spirit and intelligence affording a hope that he will become an ornami 
his profession. 



It has been said that his lordship, if he meant not to make au 
effectual stand, might have retired without exposing his troops to 
slaughter; but this is a mode of reasoning only fit for the fireside ; 
a well contested retreat will preserve the courage of an army, 
whilst to retire without seeing the face of the enemy will always 
dispirit it. Besides, as his lordship said, " the reports were so 
various respecting the enemy's strength, it was necessary thai 
lie should see their army," as this would undoubtedly have an 
influence upon his ulterior operations. 

That the resistance offered by the British army was sufficient 
to check any plans which the enemy might have formed, beyond 
the mere relief of Ciudad Rodrigo, is evident from their having 
retired from that place on the 30th of September, the army of the 
north separating for Salamanca, and that of Portugal towards 
Banos and Placentia. 

At this period several distinguished foreign honours were be- 
stowed on Lord Wellington, and on the 2Cth of October, a royal 
license was gazetted; permitting his lordship (who some time be- 
fore had been constituted Marshal General of the Portuguese army) 
to accept the title of Conde de Vimiera, and also the insignia of 
a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Portuguese military Order 
of the Tower and Sword, conferred upon him by the Prince Re- 
gent of Portugal in testimony of the high estimation in which his 
royal highness holds his distinguished and glorious services on 
various important occasions.* 

The French armies in the month of October continued nearly 
in the same positions ; but notwithstanding that the relief of Ciu- 
dad Rodrigo had been an object of such importance to them, it 
was still harassed, if not blockaded, by the allied array, and so 
alert were the advanced parties, that the gallant Spanish partizan, 
Don Julian Sanchez, actually carried off, on the 1 5th of October, 

* At the same time Sir William Beresford (who had been elected a 
knight of the hath for his gallant services, and who is also marshal and com- 
mander in chief of the Portuguese forces) received permission to accept the 
dignity of Conde de Trancoso, and the insignia of the same order conferred 
on Lord Wellington. 



27'2 

a large proportion of the cattle grazing near that place, aod eveB 
made prisoner the governor, General Reynard, who had come 
out of the fort and across the Agueda, attended by some staff of- 
ficers, and escorted by a party of about twenty cavalry; he was 
there surrounded by Don Julian's detachment as soon as he en- 
tered the hills, and was taken with two of his escort under the 
very guns of the place. 

About this time the Spanish guerillas were increasing in num- 
bers and boldness throughout the Peninsula, where the two well 
known partizans Em/iecinado and Mina were very successful 
against some of the enemy's posts and detachments, when their 
army was collected for the relief of Ciudad Rodrigo ; but these 
occurrences would occupy too much ground from our main sub- 
ject to be entered on more fully. 

Whilst the two main armies were thus laying watching each 
other's movements, the British and their allies were not iuactive 
in other places; particularly Lieutenant General Hill, who had 
been ordered to march into Estremadura, with the troops under 
his command. He marched by Aldea del Cano to Alcuesca, in 
search of General Girard ; and on the 27th of October, having 
information that the enemy were in motion, he proceeded through 
Aldea, being a shorter route than that taken by the French, and 
affording a hope of being able to intercept him, and bring him to 
action. On the march he learned that Girard had halted his 
main body at Arroyo de Molinos, leaving a rear guard atAlbala; 
which was to General Hill a satisfactory proof that he was igno- 
rant of the movements of the allied detachment. General Hill, 
therefore, determined to surprise him, and accordingly made a 
forced march to Alcuesca that evening, where the troops were so 
placed as to be out of sight of the enemy, and no fires were al- 
lowed to be made. On the arrival at this place, which is not 
more than a league from Arroyo, General Hill was more fully con- 
vinced that Girard was ignorant of his movements, and also ex- 
tremely off his guard; he determined, therefore, upon attempting 
to surprise him, or at least to bring him to action, before he should 
march in the morning; and the necessary dispositions were made 
for that purpose. 



273 

The ground over which the troops were to manoeuvre being a 
plain, thinly scattered with oak and cork tree?, General Hill's 
object was, to place a body of troops so as to cut off the retreat 
of the enemy, either to Truxillo or Merida : he, therefore, moved 
the army from their bivouack (or resting place without tents) 
near Alcuesca, about two in the morning of the 28th, in one 
column, right in front, direct on Arroyo del Molino. On ar- 
riving within half a mile of the town, when under cover of alow 
ridge, the column closed and divided into three columns, the in- 
fantry being on the right and left, and the cavalry occupying the 
centre. As the day dawned, a violent storm of rain and thick 
mist came on, under cover of which the columns advanced ac- 
cording to the concerted plan ; the left column proceeding for the 
town, under Lieutenant Colonel Stewart; the 71st, and part of 
the 60th, and 92d, at a greater distance, and the 50th in close 
column, somewhat in the rear, with the guns as a reserve. The 
right column, under Major General Howard, having the 39th re- 
giment as a reserve, broke off to the right, so as to turn the 
enemy's left; and having gained about the distance of a cannon 
shot to that flank, it marched in a circular direction upon the 
further point of the crescent formed by the troops, whilst the 
cavalry, under Sir William Erskine, moved between the two 
columns of infantry, ready to act in front, or move rouud either 
of them, as occasion might require. 

The advance of the British columns was unperceived by 
the enemy until they approached very near, at av Inch moment 
they were filing out of the town upon the Merida road ; the rear 
of the column, some of the cavalry, and part of the baggage, 
being still within it, though one brigade of infantry had marched 
from Medellin an hour before daylight.* 

* A letter from an officer states : 

" We are just returned to our cantonments after a very tough job, the result 
of which, however, amply compensates us for the fatigues we underwent- 
After marching the whole day, on the 27th arrived at a vfllage called AIcu- 
esca, when we lay under a hill, without being allowed to light fires, in conse- 
quence of the vicinity of the enemy. This was trying work to our poor fel- 
§5 



274 

At this moment the 71st and 92d regiments charged into the 
town with cheers, and drove the enemy everywhere at the point 
of the bayonet, having only a few of their men cut down by the 
enemy's cavalry. The enemy's infantry which had got out of the 

lows — they had eaten nothing for two days, and after marching all day in 
the pouring rain, were obliged to lie in a ploughed field up to their knees in 
mud. 

" We marched about two o'clock, quite dark, and raining dreadfully, and 
by daybreak we had three brigades formed under a hill, within cannon shot 
of the place where Monsieur was still snoring, unconscious of his danger- 
One out-.'ying piquet of the enemy would have frustrated our plan ; they had 
one about a mile from the village, but most fortunately they had retired (iu 
consequence of the troops having an order to march at six o'clock) just he- 
fore the head of our column came to the spot. The various regiments 
forming these brigades brought their left shoulders forward, and marched, or 
rather ran, in the best possible order, to gain the Merida road before the 
enemy, which done they would have no alternative but to take to ihe 
mountains- 

" Two or three cannon shot from the village informed us that the bird had 
not flown ; they were, however, formed outside of it, and ready to march. 
General Girard laughed, and said that the English were too fond of comfort t© 
get out of tlieirbeds such mornings as these, (raining hard,) he thought it was 
only an advanced party of the Spaniards, and was ordering his men out of the 
town in order (as he said) to drub them heartily. On turning round, the firsj 
man he saw was one of the 92d ; then he rode off" to set his troops in motion 
" The French officers in the town behaved remarkably well — they singled 
out, and sword in hand attacked the British commanders. The honourable 
Colonel Cadogan had the cap cut through on his head with a coup de sabre . 
Colonel Stewart of the 50th (who commanded the brigade) was knocked off 
his horse ; and Lieutenant Colonel Cameron of the 92d severely wounded. 
But the Frenchmen soon received the reward of their temerity, for the whole 
found in the village were either killed or made prisoners by the brave 92d, 
Gordon's Highlanders. 

" Girard, who was wounded twice, got off with three or four hundred men, 
and they say four eagles.; but they were invisible, the officers having 
pocketed them. When we saw there was no possibility of following them, 
we tried a ruse de guerre after their own fashion ; but it did not do — A flag 
of truce was sent to tell them that they were surrounded, and to ask them 
to surrender 

" The men and officers seemed inclined to do so, and an officer and a few 
men actually came off; but Girard said he would never surrender with life, 
and if taken there was his resource, pointing to his pistols — he was ia tears, 
and much agitated." 



2f5 

• own had, by the time these regiments arrived at the extremity of 
it, formed into two squares, with the cavalry on their left ; the 
whole were posted between the Merida and Medelliu roads, 
frootiDg Alcuesca. 

These squares were formed close to the town, but- the garden 
walls were promptly lined by the 71st light infantry, whilst the 
92d filed out and formed a line on the enemy's flank, the whole 
throwing in a hot and well directed fire. In the mean time one 
wing of the 50th regiment occupied the town, and secured the 
prisoners ; and the other wing, along with the three six pounders, 
skirted the outside of it, the artillery, as soon a3 within range, 
firing with great effect upon the squares. 

Whilst the enemy was thus occupied upon the right, General 
Howard's column continued moving upon their left, and the allied 
cavalry advancing, and crossing the head of the enemy's column. 
cut off the cavalry from the iufantry, charging it repeatedly, and 
putting it to the rout. The 1 3th light dragoons at the same time 
took possession of the enemy's artillery. 

In this part of the business, the Spanish cavalry, under the 
Count de Penne Villemur, behaved remarkably well ; for the 
British cavalry having been somewhat delayed by the darkness 
of the night and the badness of the road, the Spaniards were the 
first to form upon the plain, and gallantly engaged the enemy 
until the British came up. 

The whole body of the French were now in full retreat; but 
General Howard's column having gaiued the point to which it 
was directed, and the left column coming fast upon them, they 
had no resource but to surrender, or to disperse and ascend the 
mountain, which forms one extremity of the Sierra of Montan- 
ches, and is almost inaccessible. 

The latter attempt they preferred ; and, scrambling up the 
eastern extremity, were followed- closely by the 28th and 34th 
regiments, whilst the 39th and Colonel Ashworth's Portuguese 
infantry followed round the foot of the mountain to take them in 
flank. 

As may be imagined, the enemy's troops were by this time in 



276 

the utmost panic; the cavalry were flying in every direction, 
the infantry throwing away their arms, and the only effort of 
either was to escape. The troops under General Howard's com- 
mand, as well as those he had sent round the point of the moun- 
tain, piu-sued them over the rocks, making prisoners at every 
step, until his own men became so exhausted, and few in number, 
that it was necessary for him to halt and secure the prisoners. 

The force which Girard had with him at the commencement 
of the business, consisting of 2,500 infantry and 600 cavalry, 
-were now totally dispersed or captured ; amongst the latter of 
■whom were General Brune, the Prince d'Aremberg, two lieute- 
nant colonels, an aid de-camp, thirty captains and subalterns, 
and upwards of 1,000 soldiers, with the whole of their baggage, 
artillery, commissariat, and even the contributions which they 
had recently levied. The enemy's loss in killed was also very 
severe, whilst, from the circumstances of the case, it was very 
trifling on the side of the British. Girard escaped himself with 
two or three hundred men, but without arms, and even these were 
much harassed in their retreat by the Spanish peasantry. 



'.77 



SECTION IX. 

Spanish affairs — Surrender of Blake — Repulse of Montbrun — Siege of Ciudad 
Rodrigo— Assault and surrender of that fortress — Lord Wellington created 
an earl — Siege of Badajoz — Military details— Assault of the citadel, and 
burrender of the place — Anecdotes — Gallant conduct of the British cavalry 
at Villa Garcia — Marshal Soult kept in check in Andalusia — Exemplary 
conduct of the Portuguese militia — Sir Rowland Hill's expedition to V Ima- 
raz — Gallant assault of that place, and its destruction — March to Salamanca 
— Retreat and manoeuvres of the French army — Salamanca taken by the 
British— Siege and capture of the French fortified posts in that city- -move- 
ments of Marmont's army— Gallant affair of the British cavalry with the 
rear guard of the enemy — Movements before the battle of Salamanca- 
Incidents connected with that affair — Battle of Salamanca— A neo- 
dotes of the action — Defeat and pursuit of the French army — Fall of Ge- 
neral Le Marchant — Affecting anecdote of an English lady, &c. &c. &c. 

THE year 1812 opened with a severe misfortune to the 
Spanish cause on the eastern coast, wfiere Valencia not only ca- 
pitulated, but Blake surrendered with his whole army, giving up 
immense magazines of all kinds of stores to the French, who were 
indeed less successful at Alicant, where MoDtbrun was repulsed 
early in January. 

On the 3th of January Lord Wellington commenced his in- 
vestment of Ciudad Rodrigo, which had been lately considerably 
strengthened ; for since the French had got possession of it they 
had constructed a palisadoed redoubt on the hill of St. Francisco, 
and fortified three convents in the suburb, the defences of which 
were connected with the new work on the hill of St. Francisco, 
and with the whole line by which the suburb was surrounded. 
By these means they had increased the difficulty of approaching 
the place, and it was necessary to obtain possession of the work 
on the hill of St. Francisco before any progress could be made in 
the attack. 

Accordingly, Major General Crawford, who was in charge of 
the advanced operations, directed a detachmeut of the light divi- 
sion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Colbourne of the 
52d, to attack the work shortly after dark, which Aras executed 



2f8 

ia a very able style, the whole being carried by storm ; two cap- 
tains and forty-seven men taken prisoners, and the rest of the gar- 
risoa put to the sword during the assault. The loss of the assail- 
ants was but trifling, and they took three pieces of cannon. 

The main body of the French army did not receive intelligence 
of these operations unmoved ; and Lord Wellington received in- 
formation of their preparing the assemblage of troops at Sala- 
manca to a certain extent; this, however, only hastened his 
operations, aud made him persevere in the siege with redoubled 
vigour. 

The capture of this place was of great importance to the cause 
of the allies ; and it is a pleasure to observe, that the people of 
Castile contemplated the operations with great interest, and 
afforded much assistance upon all occasions. The militaiy 
efforts of the Spaniards, too, were of some considerable utility; 
for the Marshal del Campo, Don Carlos d'Espague, and Don 
Julian Sanchez, observed the enemy's movements beyond the 
Tormes during the siege, and showed themselves worthy of the 
assistance afforded them by the gallant British army. 

The events of the siege also put in possession of the British 
upwards of one hundred and fifty-three pieces of ordnance, in- 
cluding the heavy train belonging to the French army, together 
with immense quantities of ammunition and stores: and there 
were surrendered with the governor, General Barrier, about 
seventy-eight officers, and seventeen hundred men, prisoners. 

On the 24th of January the gallant General Crawford died of 
his wounds, lamented by the army, and regretted by his com- 
mander in chief : and on the 29th Lord Wellington received in- 
telligence of Marshal Marmont having arrived at Salamanca seven 
days previous, where six divisions of the army of Portugal were 
collected on the two succeeding days. 

As yet, the French did not venture to advance ; but General 
Souham's division, with about six hundred cavalry and some ar- 
tillery, were sent as far as Matilla, and patrolled in advance to 
San Munez and Tamames; but this movement was merely to 
ascertain the fact of the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo, when they thought 
4 



§>ro 

proper immediately to return to the Tormes. His lordship, 
however, for the present, took no active notice of these demon- 
strations, but contented himself with repairing the damage which 
the British fire had done to the works, and in a short time put 
the whole place into a good state of defence. 

The impression made at home by this acquisition was very- 
great, as it showed that the conduct, the prudence, and the gal- 
lantry, of Lord Wellington had so far operated in favour of the 
general cause as to keep the enemy in check even whilst he was 
besieging their most important depots ; whilst the inactivity of the 
French, and their inability to march to the defence of so impor- 
tant an object, clearly showed the manifest superiority of the allies, 
in consequence of the judicious measures of the noble commander 
in chief. 

Nor was he permitted to go unrewarded, as his royal highness 
the prince regent immediately created him Earl of Wellington, in 
addition to his other titles and honours. On this occasion, too, 
with a just attention to military merit, his royal highness noticed 
his brave companions in arms, nominating Lieutenant Generals 
Graham and Hill as knights of the most honourable order of 
the bath. 

Towards the middle of February some movements on the part 
of the French took place, two divisions of the army of Portugal, 
together Avith General Montbruu's cavalry, having advanced to 
the Tagus, in the vicinity of Talavera and Toledo; but at the 
same time General Bonnet was obliged to evacuate the Asturias, 
suffering considerably in this operation, not only from the wea- 
ther, but also from the attacks of a detachment of the army of 
Gallicia, and of General Porlier's corps. 

The guerilla parties also continued to increase, and their ope- 
rations became every day of more importance; particularly that 
active partizan Saomil, who about this time was powerful enough 
to intercept the communications of the army of Portugal in Up- 
per Castile, near Medina del Campo, where he took a considera- 
ble number of prisoners; whilst the party of Cuesta, another 
partizan, attacked a large body of French infantry which had 



200 

crossed the Tictar, and obliged them to retire with considerable 
ioss. 

A most important era in the Spanish cause was now advancing, 
by the siege and stormiDg of Badajoz, which commenced on the 
16th of March, and Avas carried by escalade and assault on the 
6th of April, displaying a degree of gallantry and perseverauce, 
equal to any thing of ancient or modern times.* 

It must not be forgotten, that during the whole of this arduous 
business, Lord Wellington had great difficulties to contend with, 
in consequence of the total failure of the civil authorities of the 
proviuce of Alentejo to perform their duty, and to supply Uie 
army with means of transport ; these difficulties continued also to 
exist even afterwards, with the exception of General Victorea, 
the Governor of Elvas, who, together with the troops under his 
command, made every exertion, and did all in their power, to 
contribute to the general success. 

These operations were viewed by the French with great un- 
easiness, but without any active attempt on their part to frustrate 
them. Marshal Soult, indeed, left Seville on the 1st of April, 
with all the troops which he could collect in Andalusia; and he 
was in communication with the troops which had retired from 
Estremadura, under General Drouet, two days afterwards, and 
on the 4th of April advanced as far as Llerena. 

In proportion, then, as he should advance, Lord Wellington, 
with great prudence, determined to concentrate his own troops ; 
and he, therefore, gave directions to Lieutenant Generals Hill 
and Graham, who were in advance towards Llerena, to retire 
slowly from that vicinity and the upper parts of the Guadi- 
ana. 

But up to the 7th, even before he could have heard of the fall of 
Badajoz, Marshal Soult seems to have acted very circumspectly 3 

* About this period, at home, an act was passed for settling and securing s 
handsome annuity on !Wl Wellington, and the two next persons to whom the 
title of Earl of Wellington shall descend, in consideration of his eminent ser- 



281 

and without making any decided movement, although he had 
patrolled forward with small detachments of cavalry, and had 
even pushed the advanced guard of his inf antry as far as -Usa- 
gre. 

There seems, however, to have been a want of unity of design 
amongst the French commanders at this moment. None of the 
army of Portugal had attempted any movement towards the 
south, in order to form a communication with Soult ; and Mar- 
mont himself, who was then on the frontiers of Castile, con- 
tented himself with establishing a body of troops between the 
Coa and Agueda, and with reconnoitring Almeida early in 
April. 

In these movements, too, he was closely watched, for Briga- 
dier General Trant's division of militia was placed on the Coa ; 
and Brigadier General Wilson's other division of the Portuguese 
militia followed him, together with the cavalry ; whilst Lieute- 
nant General the Conde D'Amarante marched with apart of the 
troops under his dommand towards the Douro. 

On the 8th of April Marshal Soult had collected the whole 
of his army at Villa Franca, in Estremadura ; and, having there 
heard of the fall of Badajoz, thought proper to retire before 
daylight the next morning towards the frontiers of Andalusia. 

As soon as he commenced his retreat, Sir Thomas Graham 
proceeded to harass him by detachments ; and accordingly Sir 
Stapleton Cotton, with the cavalry, attacked and defeated his rear 
guard at Villa Garcia in a very handsome style ; and that with 
such success, that the enemy retired that very day from Llerena, 
and immediately afterwards entirely evacuated the whole pro- 
vince of Estremadura. 

About this period those corps of the Spanish army in commu- 
nication with the allies, seem to have been pretty active; par- 
ticularly the Conde de Penne Villemur, who, with a detachment 
of the 5th army which had been sent from Estremadura into the 
Condado de Niebla, had approached that town by the right of 
the Guadalquiver, and had some affairs with the enemy's garrison 



282 

of Seville, and of the fortified convent on that side of the river, 
obliging them to retire within their works. 

This took place on the 5th of April; but on the 10th the 
Conde retreated, according to a suggestion from Lord Welling- 
ton himself, in consequence of the fall of Badajoz, and the cer- 
tainty which he felt that Marshal Soult would return into An- 
dalusia without risking an action. 

This retreat Soult was, indeed, permitted to make, almost un- 
molested, with the exception of Sir Stapleton Cotton's attack on 
his rear guard, as it was not at that moment, for many reasons, 
possible for Lord Wellington to bring him to action. In the 
north, Marmont was making some show of offensive operations, 
keeping Ciudad Rodrigo blockaded ; but he had not ventured to 
make any attack upon it, nor had even repeated his visit to Almei- 
da, having suffered some loss in his former reconuoisance of that 
place. 

On the 7th, the very day on which Badajoz fell, the greatest 
number of the troops of the army of Portugal in the neighbour- 
hood of Ciudad Rodrigo, and engaged in its blockade, broke up 
and marched towards Sabugal, where Marmont also went him- 
self. 

This movement obliged some of the detachments of the allied 
army, advanced in that quarter, to fall back; for Major General 
Victor Alten, who had been kept in front of Ciudad Rodrigo with 
the 1st hussars until the end of March, was followed (although 
at a distance) through Lower Beira, by Marshal Marmont's ad- 
vanced guard ; and having quitted Castello Branco on the 3th of 
April, they moved on ; when the French advanced guard, con- 
sisting of two thousand five hundred men, of which were six 
squadrons of cavnlry, entered Castello Branco on the evening 
of the 12th, obliging Brigadier General Le Cor, with his bri- 
gade of militia, to retire upon Sarnedos, when he saw the enemy 
advance. 

About this period, Lord Wellington, having heard that Gene- 
ral Alten had retired across the Tagus, sent directions for him t« 
«rogs that river again ; but he had no sooner done so, than the 



283 

French advanced guard retired from Castello Bianco, which 
place was immediately taken possession of a second time by the 
united corps of Generals Alten and Le Cor. 

As soon as Lord Welliugton was apprised of Soult's retreat 
from Villa Franca, he immediately put the army in motion to- 
wards Castile; and on the 16th of April the British advanced 
guard was at Castello Branco. 

As the British army continued its march towards Alfayates 
the enemy kept retiring before them : the last of them crossed 
the Agueda on the 23d of April, and on the following day they 
were in full retreat towards the Tonnes. 

The heavy rains which, had fallen before the 13th and 19th 
had produced such torrents in the rivers, as to carry away the 
bridge which they had constructed on the Agueda, immediately 
above Ciudad Rodrigo ; but they were enabled to repair it be- 
fore the pursuing British came up, and the leading divisions of 
their army crossed by the Puente d' el Villar, and the fords of 
the upper Agueda ; the rear only taking advantage of the bridge 
near Ciudad Rodrigo. 

Up to the latter end of April the enemy coutinued their retreat ; 
and as soon as Lord Wellington was certain of their having re- 
tired beyond the frontier, he directed Lieutenant General Sir 
Rowland Hill to carry into execution a plan of operations against 
their posts and establishments at the passage of the Tagus at 
A 1 mar as. 

Though Lord Wellington did not personally superintend this 
measure, yet, as forming a most conspicuous part of his plan of 
operations, it deserves particular notice here. 

Owing to the necessary preparations for this expedition, Sir 
Rowland could not begin his march before the 12th of May, 
which he did with the 2d division of infantry, and attained his 
objects by taking by storm forts Napoleon and Ragusa, and the 
tete du pont and other works, by which the enemy's bridge was 
guarded; by destroying those forts and works, as well as the 
bridge and establishments; and by the capture of their maga» 



284 

zines, with two hundred and fifty prisoners, and eighteen pieces 
of cannon. 

The general importance of this measure, as connected with 
Lord" Wellington's plau of future operations, may be drawn from 
the consideration that the load from Almaras affords the only 
good military communication across the Tagus, and from the 
Tagus to the Guadiana, below Toledo. All the permanent 
bridges below the bridge of Arzobispo had been destroyed du- 
ring the war, by the different parties of belligerants, and the 
French had not been able to repair them ; this one, indeed, de- 
stroyed at Almaras, was a bridge of boats, but Lord Wellington 
had good reason to believe that the enemy had not the means of 
repairing it. 

In addition to this, the communications from the bridges of 
Arzobispo and Talavera to the Guadiana being very difficult, 
and not deserving of being considered as military communica- 
tions for a large army, the evident result of this well laid, and 
well executed plan, was to cut off completely the shortest and 
best communication between the armies of the south and of Por- 
tugal; and, therefore, a leading incident in those manoeuvres 
which enabled his lordship to catch Marmont single handed at 
the gallant affair of Salamanca.* 

* It is a pleasing part of a biographer's task to mark in the present place 
the comprehensive mind of the gallant commander in chief in those ar- 
rangements; for we may see that even whilst preparing for himself a straight 
path to his subsequent harvest of laurels, he at the same time contrived to 
draw off some of the pressure of the French armies in the south from the 
patriots in that quarter, even whilst confining them within the limits of that 
very district. 

Even this was of an importance which, though not immediately observable, 
was doubtless of considerable advantage ; for we see that nearly about the 
time when the French troops, as already mentioned, marched from Seville 
towards the Condado de Niebla, another considerable detachment under Mar- 
shal Soult went towards the blockade of Cadiz, and it was even expected that 
the French in Andalusia would be strong enough to make another attack on 
Tariffa ; but as soon as the enemy received early intelligence of Sir Row- 

•ncJ Hill's advance, they were forced to make movements on their left, 



285 

In the north, and on the side of Castile, the French seem to 
have been aware about this time of their awkward situation. In 
both Old and New Castile they were in motion, two of their 
divisions having been sent across the Tagus by the bridge of 
Arzobispo, and thence moved along the road to Deleytosa, in 
order to cover the withdrawing of their advanced post of Mira- 
bete. 

The whole of the allied army of Portugal also made a move- 
ment to their left ; part of them being on the Tagus, and Mar- 
mont's head-quarters being moved from Salamanca to Fron- 
tieros. 

Further north, General Bonnet, with his band of plunderers, had 
been able to do no better than to make two predatory excursions 
towards the frontiers of Gallicia; but had again entered the 
Asturias, and resumed the possession of Oviedo and some other 
towns. Yet even there the Spaniards were beginning to exert 
themselves, and General Mendizable was so far in their rear as 
to keep possession of the town of Burgos, though the enemy still 
retained the castle. Indeed, at this period, in all parts of the 

■whither General Drouet directed the troops under his command, arriving 
upon the Guadiana at Medellin on the 17th of May. 

In this position was Sir William Erskine's division of cavalry, which had 
remained in Lower Estremadura with a part of the 2d division of infantry, 
and some other troops under Lieutenant General Hamilton. On the 18th of 
May a detachment of Drouet's cavalry drove in their piquets as far as 
Ribera ; but though much superior in force, he did not venture to attack 
them. 

Indeed, the effects of Souk's reinforcements to the besieging army at Cadiz 
might have been of considerable consequence as far as regarded the defence 
of that place ; but this marshal found himself obliged to move from the 
blockade of Cadiz towards Cordova ; and the troops which had marched from 
Seville into the Condado de Niebla found it necessary to return to Seville 
about thfl same period. 

They were not in sufficient time, however, to check the gallant Hill ; for 
he had attained his object, and returned to Truxillo, beyond all risk of 
being attacked by a superior force, long before the French troops were able 
to assemble ; they, therefore, had no other alternative but to fall back upon 
Cordova. 



286 

country, the boldness and activity of the guerillas were cou- 
stantly increasing ; and their operations against the common ene- 
my were daily becoming more and more important. 

From this period until the middle of June the two armies kept 
nearly in sight of each other, but without attempting any thing 
on either side until the 13th of June, when the British troops 
crossed the Agueda, and marched forward in three columns, the 
troops under Don Carlos d'Espana forming a fourth; and the 
whole arrived upon the Valmusa, a rivulet about six miles from 
Salamanca, on the following day. The enemy on the 16th showed 
some cavalry, and a small body oF infantry, in front of the 
town, and manifested a design to hold the heights on the south 
side of the Tormes, but their cavalry were immediately driven 
in by the British advance, and on that very evening they thought 
proper to evacuate Salamanca, leaving a garrison of about eight 
hundred men in the fortifications which they had erected on the 
ruins of the colleges and convents which they had demolished. 

By the fire from these they protected the passage of the Tor- 
mes by the bridge; but this was unavailing, for the British 
troops crossed that river on the 17th, by two fords in the vicinity. 
The forts were immediately invested by the 6th division 
under the command of Major General Clinton; and, having been 
accurately reconnoitred, it was necessary to break ground before 
them ; this was done on the evening of the 1 7th, and every thing 
was immediately put in a state of preparation for commencing a 
fire from eight pieces of cannon at the distance of three hundred 
yards from the principal of the enemy's works, in hopes that the 
possession of it would produce the surrender of the rest. 

It was impossible to describe the tumultuous joy of the people 
©f Salamanca upon the entrance of the British troops. Lord 
Wellington was looked on as their saviour from French domina- 
tion; indeed, much had they suffered for more than three years, 
during which time the French, among other acts of oppression, 
had destroyed thirteen of twenty-five convents, and twenty-two 
of twenty-five colleges which once existed in this celebrated seat 
®f learning. 



287 

The enemy retired by the road to Toro; and their rear guard, 
so rapid was their progress, was fifteen miles from Salamanca in 
the evening. They continued their retreat by the same route on 
the ensuing morning, with the intent of collecting their army on 
the Douro between Toro and Zamora. 

Marshal Marmont having collected his whole army on the 
Douro by the 19th of June, with the exception of General Bon- 
net's division, which was still left in the Asturias, and some trifling 
garrisons, he moved forward to oppose the British army on the 
28th from Fuente Sabino. 

Lord Wellington immediately formed the allied army, with the 
exception of the troops engaged in the operations against the forts 
in Salamanca, on the heights extending from the neighbourhood 
of Villares to Morisco; and the advanced posts of the cavalry 
and infantry retired upon the army in good order and without 
material loss. 

The enemy remained in front during that night up to the eve- 
ning of the 21st, on which night they established a post on the 
right flank of the British, the possession of which by them de- 
prived the allies of an advantage which might eventually be of 
importance. 

Lord Wellington, therefore, directed Lieutenant General Sir 
Thomas Graham to attack them in that post on the 22d, with the 
troops on the right under the command of Major Generals Hope 
and De Bernewitz. 

The enemy were driven from the ground immediately with 
considerable loss ; the assailants conducting themselves particu- 
larly well in this affair, which took place in sight of both armies. 
It is evident, therefore, that Marmont was unwilling to risk the 
bringing on a general action ; and, indeed, he thought proper to 
retire with his whole force during the night, and on the following 
evening posted himself with his right on the heights near Cabesa 
Vellosa, and his left on the Tonnes at Huerta; his centre being 
at Aldia Rubra. 

The object of the enemy in this manoeuvre was to endeavour 
to eommunicate tvith the garrisons in the forts at Salamanca, by 



288 

the left of the Torraes ; but Lord Welliugton instantly developed 
their plan, and to counteract it, immediately changed the front of 
his army, placing his right at St. Martha, where there is a ford 
over the Tormes, and the advanced posts at Aldea Lingua: 
whilst Major General Bock's brigade of heavy dragoons was 
sent across the Tormes in order to observe the passages of the 
river. 

The French crossed the Tormes at Huerta, about two o'clock 
of the morning of the 24th, in considerable numbers of cavalry, 
infantry, and artillery ; and there was soon every appearance of a 
general movement in that direction. On this occasion the con- 
duct of Major General Bock's dragoons was conspicuously good, 
as they did every thing in their power to make known the ene- 
my's movements, and opposed their advance vigorously, under 
many disadvantages, in order to afford time for the dispositions 
necessary to be made on the occasion. 

As soon as the Earl of Wellington was certain that the French 
had crossed the Tormes, he directed Lieutenant General Sir 
Thomas Graham to cross that river with the 1st and 7th divi- 
sions; and at the same time he sent over Major General Le Mar- 
chant's brigade of cavalry; and concentrated the remainder of 
the army between Moresco and Cabrerizos, keeping the advanced 
posts still at Aldea Lingua. 

By noon, every thing being prepared for a general action, the 
enemy had advanced as far as Calvarissa de Abaxo ; but Mar- 
mont, observing the disposition so judiciously made for his warm 
reception, thought proper to retire again in the afternoon to 
recross the Tormes at Huerta, aud from thence to the position 
he had before occupied.* 

* Up to this period, the army was so completely occupied, that the siege of 
the forts did not advance with the rapidity the gallant commander in chief 
had expected. Indeed, from the pains taken, and the expense incurred in 
their construction, he was prepared to meet with some difficulties, and pro- 
Tided an equipment accordingly; these difficulties were of a formidable na- 
ture; and the forts, three in number, each defending the other, were very 
strong, although not of a regular construction. 

By the 25th of June there were breaches open in the convent of St. Vin- 



289 

These events were not only of importance tothegeneral cause, 
but they lend also to display the character of the noble chieftain 

centi, which was the principal work ; but these could not be attacked with 
propriety until the assailants should get possession of San Cayetano ; accord- 
ingly Major General Clinton made an attempt to carry that work by storm 
on the night of the 23d, the gorge having been completely damaged by the 
fire from the British batteries-— but the attempt unfortunately failed, and 
Major General Bowes unhappily but gallantly fell.** 

Every nerve was now strained to hasten the reduction of those forts, in 
order that the British army might proceed further against the enemy ; and 
accordingly on the 26th, in the afternoon, the ammunition which was sent for 
having arrived, the fire was immediately recommenced upon the gorge of the 
redoubt of San Cayetano, in which a practicable breach was effected at about 
ten o'clock in the morning of the 17th, and the assailants had succeeded nearly 
about the same time in setting fire to the buildings in the large fort of St. Vin- 
centi, by the fire from which the approach to San Cayetano by its gorge was 
defended. 

The Earl of Wellington seized on the eventful moment, and instantly gave 
directions that the forts of San Cayetano and La Merced should be stormed ; 
and some little delay occurred, in consecmence of the commanding officers 
of these forts in the first instance, and afterwards the commanding officer of 
St. Vinceati, having expressed a desire to capitulate after the lapse of a cer- 
tain number of hours. As it was obvious, however, that those propositions 
were made in order to gain time, till the fire of St. Vincend should be ex- 
tinguished, his lordship refused to listen to any terms, unless the forts should 
be instantly surrendered ; and having found the commanding officer of San 
Cayetano, who was the first to offer to surrender, was entirely dependant 
upon the Governor of St. Vincenti, and could not venture to carry into execu- 
tion the capitulation which he had offered to make, the earl immediately 
gave directions that the storm of that fort, and also of La Merced, should 
instantly take place. . 

This gallant assault was performed in the most Undaunted manner by de- 
tachments of the 6th division, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel 
Davies of the 36th regiment, under the direction of Major General Clinton. 
The troops entered the fort of San Cayetano by the gorge, and escaladed 

** The gallant major general was so eager for the success of the enter- 
prise, that he had gone forward with the storming party, which consisted of 
a part of his brigade, and was wounded ; and after his first wound vas dressed, 
he returned again to the assault, and received 8 second wound which killed 
him. The loss besides, both in officers and men, was considerable. 



2i)0 

in the most admirable point of view; perhaps, indeed, the tfiosl 
remarkable trait in his character upon this occasion was the 
modesty with which he himself acknowledged the disappointment 
of his own expectations; saying, that he was mistaken in his 
estimate of the extent of the means which would be necessary 
to subdue those forts, and was therefore obliged to send to the 
rear for a fresh supply of ammunition, thus necessarily causing a 
delay of six days. 

As soon as the enemy heard of the fall of those forts, they im- 
mediately withdrew their garrison from Alba de Tormes ; and in- 
deed it may be said that the operations were carried on in sight 

that of La Merced ; the whole taking place with a very trifling loss on the 
part of the British. 

The good effects of this rapidity of decision, and gallantry of execution, 
were soon apparent; for no sooner did the British flag display its united 
crosses through the retiring smoke, waving protection over those walls where 
the French eagle had screamed the cry of desolation, than the Governor of St. 
Vincenti sent out to notify the surrender of that fortress, 'on the terms which 
had previously been offered. These were, that the garrison should march 
out with the honours of '(far ; that they should be prisoners of war ; and the 
officers to retain their personal military baggage, and the soldiers their knap- 
sacks 

With his accustomed promptitude and humanity, his lordship deemed it 
expedient to accept the place by capitulation on those terms, and to put a stop 
to the attack; this was, however, a generous concession; for such were the 
judicious arrangements, and so ardent the impetuosity of the allied troops, 
that the 9th regiment of the Portuguese cacadores had stormed one of the 
outworks, and were actually at that moment in possession of it. 

This was another lesson to the French that neither their industry nor their 
valour could withstand the shock of British perseverance and British gallant 
ly ; in fact, in less than three weeks were thus carried works which had 
taken nearly three years in constructing, and that with increased aeiivity for 
the preceding nine months. 

To make them tenable, a large expense had been inourrerl ; and indeed 
those works being sufficiently garrisoned with about eight hundred men, and 
aimed with thirty pieces of artillery, were thus of a nature to render it totally 
impossible to take them, excepting by a regular attack ; and it was obvious 
that the French commander in chief relied upon their strength, and upoti 
their being sufficiently garrisoned, and armed, as he had left in St. Vincenti 
targe depots of clothing, and military stores of every description. 



291 

of Marmout's army, which had remained io its position, with the 
right at Cabeza Vellosa, and the left at Huerta, till the night of 
the 27th of June, when they broke up, and retired in three 
columns towards the river Douro; one of them directing its 
march upon Toro, and the others upon Tordesillas. 

On the 28th Lord Wellington also broke up the cantonments of 
the allied army, and on the 30th of June they were encamped on 
the Guarena.* 

On the 1st of July the British broke up their encampment, 
and the enemy having retired from Alaejos, they encamped that 
evening on the Trabaucos, with the advanced guard upon Nava 
del Rey. The Earl of Wellington having there got information 
that Marmont had destroyed the bridge of Tordesillas, he inline- 
diately gave orders for the British advanced guard to cross the 
Zapardiel, and to move upon Hueda, which took place on the 
morning of the 2d, supported by the left, whilst the right and cen- 
tre of the army moved towards Medina del Canno. 

It soon after appeared, however, that the enemy had not de- 
stroyed the bridge as reported ; but that their main body had re- 
tired upon Tordesillas, whilst their rear guard was left at Rueda. 

On this, Lieutenant General Sir Stapleton Cotton imme- 
diately attacked their rear guard with Major Generals Anson's 
and Alten's brigades of cavalry, and drove them in upon the main 
body at Tordesillas. As the right and centre of the British 
army were, however, at some distance, Lord Wellington was un- 
able to bring up a sufficient body of troops in time to attack the 
enemy during their passage of the Douro, and accordingly they 
effected that operation with but little loss, taking their position on 
that river, with their right on the heights opposite Polios, their 
centre at Tordesillas, and their left at Simaecos in the Pisuerga. 

* The total loss in these affairs on the allied side was, 115 killed and 3&1 
mounded. The prisoners amounted to 706— and yet Marshal Marmont has 
since declared that these garrisons caused ngreuter loss to the allies than 
their own number amounted to. Now it must be remembered that e ven this 
total of the allies killed and wounded did not absolutely take place at tlit 
attacks only, hut in other partial affairs of the two armies between tl e l6tl 
iMid27th of June inclusive. 



292 

His lordship on the next day, the 3d of June, moved his left to 
Polios, and obtained possession of the ford over the Douro at that 
place, in front of the positions of Marmont's right ; but as the 
ford was scarcely practicable for infantry, and the enemy's corps 
were strongly posted, with a considerable quantity of artillery, 
on those heights already mentioned, which commanded the plain 
on Avhich the British troops must have formed after crossing the 
ford, and as, at the same time, he could not with propriety establish 
the army on the right of the Douro until he had adequate means 
of passiug that river, he did not at that moment think it prudent 
o ptfsh the advauced corps any further.* 

In the course of the 15th and 16th of June, the enemy moved 
all their troops to the right of their position on the Douro, and 
their army was concentrated between Toro and San RomaD. A 
considerable body then passed the Douro at Toro on the 16th, 
when Lord Wellington immediately moved the allied army to 
their left on that night with an intention to concentrate on the 
Guarena. As the Earl of Wellington most candidly and modestly 
observed in his public despatches, it was totally out of his power 
to prevent Marmont from passing the Douro at any point which 
he might think expedient, as he had in his possession all the 

* General Bonnet, who in the latter end of June had been at Aquila del 
Campo, joined Marmont's army on the 7th of July. In fact, Marmont seems 
to have felt himself obliged to make every effort in his power to keep the Bri* 
tish in check; and, in consequence of this, the moment Bonnet joined him 
he extended his line, pushing his right as far as Toro, where he began repair- 
ing the bridge which he had before destroyed. 

Whilst the two grand armies were thus watching each other, Lieutenant 
General Hill was doing good service in the south, where he kept Soult so 
much in check, as to prevent him from making any diversion in favour of the 
army of Portugal. 

General Hill broke up from Albuera on the 2d of the month, and moved 
upon his enemy, who retired before him to Cordova ; on the Oth he was at 
Llerena, and at that time part of Soult's force had marched upon Fuente 
Ovejuna from Berlenga ; and General Drouet, with ten thousand men, with 
a very small proportion of artillery, had marched through Campiilo, upon Za- 
lamea. Such was the state of affairs in the south previous to the important 
events now approaching. 



293 

bridges over that river and many of the fords ; however, he re- 
crossed the Douro at Toro, on the night of the 16th, moved his 
whole army to Tordesillas, where he again crossed the river on 
the morning of the 17th, and there again assembled his army at 
Nava del Key, having marched not less than ten leagues in the 
course of the 17 th. 

The 4th and light divisions of British infantry, and Major 
General Anson's brigades of cavalry, had marched to Castrejon 
on the night of the 16th, with a view to the assembling of the 
army on the Guarena, and Avere at Castrejon, under the orders of 
Lieutenant General Sir Stapleton Cotton, on the 1 7th, not having 
been ordered to proceed further, in consequence of his lordship 
having got information that the enemy had not passed the Douro 
at Toro ; and there was not sufficient time to call them in between 
the hour at which he received the intelligence of the whole of the 
enemy's army being at La Nava and daylight of the morning of 
the i8th. 

The Earl of Wellington, therefore, with a due regard to pru- 
dence, immediately took measures to provide for their retreat and 
junction, by moving his 5th division to Tordesillas de la Orden, 
and Major Generals Marchant's, Alten's, and Bock's brigades of 
cavalry to Alaejos. 

Marmont's advance attacked the troops at Castrejon at dawn of 
day of the 18th; but Sir Stapleton Cotton maintained his post 
with great firmness, without suffering any loss, till the cavalry 
had joined him. Nearly about the same time, the enemy were 
enabled to turn by Alaejos the left flank of the British position 
at Castrejon. 

These gallant troops now retired in admirable order to Torde- 
sillas de la Orden, having the enemy's whole army on their flank, 
or in their rear ; and thence to the Guarena, which river they 
passed under the same circumstances, and then effected their 
junction with the army. 

The enemy were now enabled to take a very strong position on 
the heights on the right of the Guarena, a river which runs into 
the Douro, and is formed by four streams that unite about a 



29i 

league below Canizel. In consequence of this, the Earl of Wel- 
lington immediately placed the 4th, 5th, and light divisions on 
the opposite heights, and directed the remainder of the army to 
cross the Upper Guarena at Vallesa, in consequence of the appear- 
ance of an intention on the part of the enemy to turn his right. 

Shortly after this, however, Marmont crossed the Guarena at 
CarteiLo, below the junction of the streams, thereby manifesting 
an intention to press upon the left, and to enter the valley of 
Canizel. At this period, Major General Alten's brigade of ca- 
valry, supported by the 3d dragoons, were already engaged with 
the enemy's cavalry, and had taken, among other prisoners, 
the French General Carriere; aud his lordship immediately 
directed the honourable Lieutenant General Cole to attack, with 
Major General Anson's and Brigadier General Harvey's bri- 
gades of infantry, (the latter under the command- of Colonel 
Stubbs,) the enemy's infantry, which were supporting, their ca- 
valry. He immediately attacked and defeated them with the 
27th and 40th regiments, which advanced to the charge with 
bayonets, Colonel Stubbs' Portuguese brigade supporting, aud the 
enemy gave way ; many were killed and wounded ; and Major 
General Alten's brigade of cavalry having pursued the fugitives, 
two hundred and forty prisoners were taken. 

The enemy, on that day, did not make any further attempt 
upon the left; but having reinforced their troops on that side, 
aud withdrawn those which had moved to their left, Lord Wel- 
lington immediately countermanded that part of the army at 
Vallesa. 

On the 19th, in the afternoon, Marmont withdrew all his troops 
from his right, and marched to his left by Tarragona, apparently 
with an intention of turniug the British right; but, with the most 
judicious rapidity, the gallant earl crossed the Upper Guarena at 
Vallesa and El Olmo with the whole of the allied army in the 
course of that evening and night; and then made every prepara- 
tion for the battle which was expected to take place on the plain 
of Vallesa on the morning of the 20th. 

Marmont, however, seems not to have relished this steady ap* 



295 

pearance of the British ; for instead of bringing them to action, 
he made, shortly after daylight, another movement in several co- 
lumns to his left, along the heights of the Guarena, which river 
he crossed below Canta la Piedra, and encamped that evening at 
Babila Fuente and Villa Mala ; whilst the allied army made a 
correspondent movement to its right by Cantalpino, and encamped 
the same evening at Cabesa Vellosa, the 6th division, and 
Major General Alteu's brigade, being upon the Tormes at Aldea 
Lingua. 

During these movements there were occasional cannonades, but 
without any loss on the side of the British. 

On the 21st in the morning, the Earl of Wellington moved the 
left of the British army to the Tormes, where the whole was 
thus concentrated ; and, at the same time, Marmont made a move- 
ment towards the river Huerta. 

Through the whole of this manoeuvring, the enemy's object 
was evidently to cut off the British communication with Sala- 
manca and Ciudad Rodrigo; but in this he was out-manoeuvred, 
whilst on his side his out-lying posts found themselves so awk- 
wardly situated, that they abandoned and destroyed the fort of 
Mirabete on the Tagus, so far back as the 14th, the garrison 
inarching to Madrid, and there forming part of the army of the 
centre ; in fact they were reduced to five days' provisions, and 
could no longer remain in a hostile country. 

The important day, on which, perhaps, the fate of Spain de- 
pended, was now fast approaching; and on the 2 1st in the evening, 
Marmont crossed the Tormes with the greatest part of his 
troops, by the fords between Alba de Tormes, and Huerta, 
moving by the left towards the roads leading to Ciudad Ro- 
drigo. 

The allied army, closely watching his movements, with the 
exception of the 3d division and General D'Urban's cavalry, 
likewise crossed the Tormes in the evening by the bridge of 
Salamanca, and the fords in the vicinity ; when the Earl of Wel- 
lington placed those troops in a position, of which the right was 



296 

upon one of the two heights called Dos Arapiles, and the left ob 
the Tormes, below the ford of Santa Martha. 
The 3d division, and Brigadier General D'Urban's cavalry, 
were left at Cabrerizos, on the right of the Tormes, as a pre- 
cautionary measure on the part of his lordship, as the enemy had 
still a large corps on the heights above Babilafuente, on the same 
side of the river : and also, as he considered it not improbable 
that finding the British army prepared for them in the morning ou 
the left of the Tormes, they would alter their plan, and manoeuvre 
by the other bank. 

The gallant and watchful earl received intelligence in the 
course of that night, the truth of which he could not doubt, that 
General Clauzel had arrived at Polios on the 20th, with the ca- 
valry and horse artillery of ihe army of the north, to join Mar- 
shal Marmont; and, as he was quite certain that these troops 
would be able to join him on the 22d or 23d at latest, it be- 
came an important object to hasten the action as much as pos- 
sible. 

During that night the enemy had taken possession of the vil- 
lage of Calvarosa de Ariba, and of the height near it, called 
Nuestra Senora de la Pena, the British cavalry still being in 
possession of Calvarosa de Abexo; and shortly after daylight 
on the morning of the 22d, detachments from both armies at- 
tempted to obtain possession of the more distant from the British 
right of the two hills called Dos Arapiles. 

In this manoeuvre Marmont succeeded, not, indeed, by su- 
perior gallantry or skill ; but the French detachment being the 
strongest, and having been concealed in the woods nearer to it 
than the British detachment, he was enabled to take it by pri- 
ority of occupation, thereby materially strengthening his own 
position, aud affording himself increased means of annoying those 
of Lord Wellington. 

In the early part of the morning, the light troops of the 7th 
division, and the 4th cacadores, belonging to General Pack's 
brigade, were engaged with the enemy on the height called 



297 

Nuestra Senora de la Peoa ; on which height they maintained 
themselves with the enemy throughout the day. 

The possession by the enemy, however, of the more distant 
of the Arapiles rendered it necessary for Lord Wellington to 
extend the right of the British army, en potence, to the heights 
behind the village of Arapiles, and to occupy that village with 
light iufantry; and for that purpose he placed there the 4th 
division, under the honourable Lieutenant General Cole ; and 
although, from the variety of the enemy's movements, it was dif- 
ficult to form a satisfactory judgment of Marmont's intentions, 
his lordship considered that, upon the whole, his objects were upon 
the left of the Torme3. 

He, therefore, immediately ordered the honourable Major 
General Pakenham, who commanded the 3d division in the ab- 
sence of Lieutenant General Picton on account of ill health, 
to move across the Tormes with the troops under his command, 
including Brigadier General D'Urban's cavalry, and to place 
himself behind Aldea Tejada ; Brigadier General Bradford's 
brigade of Portuguese infantry, and Don Carlos D'Espana's in- 
fantry having been moved up likewise to the neighbourhood of 
Las Torres, between the 3d and 4th divisions. 

After a variety of evolutions and movements, Marmont appear- 
ed, at last, to have determined upon his plan, about two in the 
afternoon ; and under cover of a very heavy cannonade, which, 
however, did the British but little damage, he extended his left, 
and moved forward his troops, apparently with an intention to 
embrace, by the position of his troops, and by his fire, the single 
post on the Arapiles, which Lord Wellington occupied, and from 
thence to attack and break the line ; or, at all events, to ren- 
der difficult any movement, on the part of the allies, to their 
right. 

However daring, or even judicious, was this plan of Mar- 
mont's, yet it comprised within itself the primary elements of his 
defeat, when opposed to 6uch a general as the gallant and dis- 
criminating Wellington; for, as his lordship observed, this ex- 
tension of his line to its left, and its advance upon the British 
33 



298 

light, notwithstanding that his troops still occupied very strong 
ground, and his position -was well defended by cannon, gave to 
Uir allied army an opportunity of attacking him, for which his 
lordship had long been anxious. 

Lord Wellington, with a happy rapidity, seconded by the 
ardour of his gallant companions, immediately reinforced the right 
with the 5th division, under Lieutenant General Leith, which he 
placed behind the village of Arapiles, on the right of the 4th 
division; and with the Gth and 7th divisions in reserve; and as 
,^oou as these troops had taken their stations, he directed the 
honourable Major General Pakenham to move forward with the 
3d division, and General D'Urbau's cavalry, and two squadrons 
of the 1 -1th light dragoons, under Lieutenant Colonel Hervey, 
in four columns, to turn the enemy's left on the heights, (thereby 
out-manoeuvring him in his own move,) whilst Brigadier General 
Bradford's brigade, the 5th division under Lieutenant General 
Leith, the 4th division, under the honourable Major General 
Cole, and the cavalry, under Sir Stapleton Cotton, should attack 
them in front, supported in reserve by the 6th division, under 
Major General Clinton, the 7th division, under Major General 
Hope, whilst Don Carlos d'Espana's Spanish division, aud Bri- 
gadier General Pack's, should support the left of the 4th divi- 
sion, by attacking that of Dos Arapiles, which the enemy held. 
The 1st aud light divisions occupied the ground on the left, and 
were in reserve. 

Such were the judicious movements which, with the eye of an 
eagle, the gallant Wellington saw at a glance were necessary 
to counteract the preconcerted hostile manoeuvres in his front ; 
and such were the names of those whose task it was to exe- 
cute a plan so rapidly conceived, aud so judiciously com- 
bined. 

In fact, uothing could be more daring than the plan of his lord- 
ship, who thus changed a defence against the outflanking and 
attack of Marmout, into the very same movements upon his as- 
sailant ! 

This important attack upon the French left was instantly made : 



299 

according to the plan of the commander in chief, and as com? 
pletely, and almost as instantly, succeeded. General Pakenham, 
fully comprehending the plan of his noble brother-in-law, form- 
ed the third division across the enemy's flank, and overthrew 
every thing that opposed him. These troops were supported in 
the most gallaut style by the Portuguese cavalry, under Briga- 
dier General D'Urban, and Lieutenant Colonel Hcrvcy's squa- 
drons of the 14th, who successfully defeated every attempt made 
by the enemy on the flank of the 3d division. 

Whilst this was going on, Brigadier Geueral Bradford's bri- 
gade, the 4th and 5th divisions, and the cavalry under Lieute- 
nant General Sir Stapleton Cotton, attacked the enemy in front, 
and drove his troops before them from one height to another, 
bringing forward their right so as to gain strength upon the ene- 
my's flank in proportion to their advance j and Brigadier Gene- 
ral Pack at the same time mode a very gallant attack upon the 
Arapilcs, in which, however, he did not succeed, except in divert- 
ing the attention of the enemy's corps placed upon it from the 
troops under the command of General Cole in his advance. 

The cavalry, under Sir Stapleton Cotton, now made a most 
gallant and successful charge against a body of the enemy's in- 
fantry which they completely overthrew and cut to pieces; but 
in this charge the gallant Major General Le Marchaut was killed 
at the head of his brigade. 

After the crest of the height was carried, one division of the 
enemy's infantry made a stand against the 4th division, which, 
after a severe contest, was obliged to give way, in consequence of 
'the enemy having thrown some troops on the left of the 4th after 
the failure of General Pack's attack upon the Arapiles ; and at 
tfrs moment the honourable General Cole was wounded. But 
at this critical moment Marshal Sir William Bcresford being on 
the spot, he immediately directed General Spry's brigade of the 
5th division, which was in the 2d line, to change its front, and to 
bring its fire on the flank of the enemy's division; and whilst 



300 

a long time afterwards, deprived the service of his active exer- 
tions. 

Nearly about the same time, too, Lieutenant General Leith re- 
ceived a wound which unfortunately obliged him to quit the field ; 
on which Lord Wellington, whose eye was everywhere, im- 
mediately ordered up the 6th division, under Major General 
Clinton, to relieve the 4th, and the battle was 60on restored to 
its former success. 

The enemy's right, however, reinforced by the troops which 
had fled from his left, and by those which had now retired from the 
Arapiles, still continued to resist ; on which Lord Wellington 
ordered the 1st and light divisions, and Colonel Stubbs' Portu- 
guese brigade of the 4th division, which was reformed, and 
General Anson's brigade, to turn the right, whilst the 6th divi- 
sion, supported by the 3d and 5th, attacked the front.* 

It was dark before this point was carried by the 6th division, 
and 'he enemy fled through the woods towards the Tormes. His 
lordship immediately pursued them with the 1st and light divi- 
sions, and General Anson's brigade, and some squadrons of 
cavalry, under Sir Stapleton Cotton, as long as he could find any 
of them together, directing his pursuit upon Huerta, and the 
fords of the Tormes, by which the enemy had passed on in their 
advance ; but the darkness of the night was highly advantageous 

* Nothing can more illustrate the gallantry of the commander in chief than 
the various anecdotes of the battle contained in different letters from the ar- 
my ; but to insert even the tenth part of them would far exceed our limits. 

Clear as was his conception, and judicious as was his plan, nothing could he 
more concise than his orders :— to General Leith, who was ordered to the at- 
tack of the hill, he had only time to say, " Push on, and drive them to the 
devil !"— and when the business was over, and the different officers came 
round his lordship to congratulate him previous to his pursuit, he only smiled, 
and said, " Marmont has forced me to lick him /" Indeed, it is evident that 
his lordship would not have commenced the action even then, if it had not 
been for vf armont's blunder in extending his line, and thereby affording his 
lordship, as he himself observed, the opportunity he had so anxiously wished 
for. It was, in fact, a military game of draughts ! 
3 



301 

to the enemy, many of whom escaped under its cover who would 
otherwise have been made prisoners.* 

Lord Wellington renewed the pursuit at break of day, and 
Bock's and Anson's brigades of cavalry having come up in the 
night, and having crossed the Tormes, the pursuers were enabled 
to overtake the enemy's rear guard of cavalry and infantry 
near Le Serna ; when they were immediately attacked by the two 
brigades of dragoons, and the cavalry fled, leaving the infantry to 
their fate. On this occasion, his lordship observed, that he had 
never witnessed a more gallant charge than was now made on the 
enemy's infantry, the whole of which, three battalions, were made 
prisoners. The pursuit was continued until the evening of the 
23d as far as Peneranza ; whilst the scattered remains of Mar- 
raont's army passed through Flores de Avelin, and afterwards by 
Arevalo towards Valladolid, where they were joined by the 
cavalry and artillery of the army of the north, but too late to 
retrieve their broken fortunes. 

It was difficult to ascertain exactly the enemy's loss in this 
brilliant action ; but the acknowledgment which has since been 
made by Marmont himself, f renders it highly probable that the 

* Owing to this darkness it unfortunately happened that Sir Stapleton Cot- 
ton was wounded by one of the British sentinels, after the army had halted. 

f The plain and modest account of this decisive and gallant action, from the 
pen of the Marquis of Wellington, certainly requires no comment; yet so 
much justice, though unwillingly, has been done to his gallantry and skill by 
the narrative of his rival, that we subjoin that account, in order to preserve 
and hand it down to posterity, as that document alone is sufficient to form the 
basis of his future fame. 

Report of Marshal the Duke of Ragusa, to the minister at -war. 

Tudela, July 31. 

te Monsieur— The interruption of the communications with Fiance, since 
the opening of the campaign, having prevented me from giving you the suc- 
cessive accounts of the events which have passed, I shall commence this re- 
port from the moment at which the English began operations ; and I am going 
to have the honour to place before you, in detail, all the movements which have 
been executed, to the unhappy event that has just taken place, and which we 
were far from expecting 

" In the month of May I was informed the English army would open the 
campaign with very powerful means ; I informed the king of it, in order that 



302 

estimate of 7,000 prisoners was not too much, as he acknow- 
ledged 6,000 hors de cotnuat. There were also taken nearly 

he might adopt such dispositions as he thought proper; and I likewise ac- 
quainted General Caffarelii with it, that he might take measures for sending 
me succours when the moment should have arrived. 

" The extreme difficulty in procuring subsistence, the impossibility of pro- 
visioning the troops, when assembled, prevented me from having more than 
eight or nine battalions in Salamanca ; but all were in readiness to join me in 
a few days. 

" On the 12th of June the enemy's army passed the Agueda; on the ^ 4th, 
n the morning, I was informed of it; and the order for assembling wrs riven 
to the troops. On the 16th the English army arrived before Saiamanca* 

In tiie night between the 16th and i7th I evacui ted that town, leaving, never- 
theless, a garrison in the forts lhad constructed ; and which, by the extreme 
activity used in their construction, were in a state of defence. J inarched six 
leagues from Salamanca; and there, having collected five divisions, I ap- 
proached that town ; I drove before me the English advanced posts, and obli- 
ged the enemy's army to show what attitude it reckoned upon taking ; it ap- 
peared determined to fight upon the fine rising ground, and strong position, 
San Christoval. The remainder of the army joined me; I manoeuvred round 
that position, but I acquired the certainty that it everywhere presented ob- 
stacles difficult to be conquered, and that it was better to force the enemy*to 
come upon another field of battle, than enter into action with them upon 
ground which, gave them too many advantages ; besides, different reasons 
made me desire to prolong the operations, for 1 had just received a letter from 
General CafFarelM, which announced tome that he had collected his troops, 
and was going to march to succour me, whilst my presence Mould have sus- 
pended the siege of the fort of Salamanca. Things remained in this state for 
some days, and the armies in presence of each other, when the seige of the 
fort of Salamanca was vigorously recommenced. 

" On account of the trifling distance which there was between the French 
army and the place, and by means of the signals agreed upon, I was every 
day informed of the situation of the place. Those of the 26th and 27th in- 
formed me the fort could still hold out five days; then I decided to execute 
the passage of the Tormes, and act upon the left bank. The fort of Alba, 
which 1 had carefully preserved, gave me a passage over that river, a new line 
of operations, and an important point of support. I made dispositions for 
executing this passage on the night between the 23th and 29th. 

"During the night of the 27th the fire redoubled, and the enemy, fatigued 
■with a resistance which to them appeared exaggerated, fired red hot balls upon 
the fort. Unfortunately its magazines contained a large quantity of wood ; 
it caught, and in an instant the fort was a vast fire. It was Impossible for the 
to/ve garrison, who defended it, to support at the same time the enemy's at- 



303 

twenty pieces of cannon, ammunition wagons, two eagles, sis 
colours, one general, three colonels, three lieutenant colonels, 

tacks, and the fire which destroyed the defences, magazines, and provisions, 
and placed the soldiers themselves in the most dreadful situation. It was thca 
obliged to surrender at discretion, after having had the honour of repulsing 
two assaults, and causing the enemy a loss of more than 1,3.0 men, viz. 
double their own force. This event happened on the 28th, at noon. 

" The enemy, having no farther object in his operation beyond the Tormes ; 
and, on the other hand, every thing indicating that it would be prudent to 
await the reinforcements announced in a formal manner by the army of the 
north, I decided on reapproaching the army of the Douro, secure of passing 
that river in case the enemy should march towards us, and there to take up a 
good line of defence, until such time as the moment for acting on the offensive 
should appear. 

** On the 28th the army departed, and took a position on the Guarena ; 
on the 29th, on the Trahanjos ; where it sojourned. The enemy having fol- 
lowed the movements with the whole of his forces, the army took a position 
on the Zapardiel ; and on the 2d it passed the Douro at Tordesillas, a plaee 
which I chose for the pivot of my motions. The line of the Douro is excellent ; 
I made in detail every disposition which might render sure a good defence of 
this river; and Iliad no cause to doubt my being able to defeat every enter- 
prise of the enemy, in case they should attempt the passage. 

" The 3d, being the day after that on which we passed the Douro, he made 
several assemblages of his forces, and some slight attempts to effect tlus passage 
at Polios, a point which for hira would have been very advantageous. The 
troops which I had disposed, and a few cannon shot, were sufficient to make 
him immediately give up his enterprise. 

" la continual expectation of receiving succours from the army of the 
north, which had been promised in so solemn and reiterated a manner,** I 
endeavoured to add, by my own industry, to the means of the army. My 
cavalry was much inferior to that of the enemy. The English had nearly 
5,003 horse, English or German, without counting the Spaniards formed into 
regular troops.; I hud no more than 2,000. With this disproportion, ia what 
manner could one manoeuvre his enemy ? How avail one's self ef any advan- 
tage that might be obtained ? Iliad but one means of augmenting my cavalry, 
and that was by taking the useless horses for the service of the army, or such 
as belonged to individuals who had no right to have them, or from such as had 
a greater number than they are allowed. I did not hesitate making use of this 
means, the imminent interest of the army, and the success of the operations, 
heing at stake. I therefore ordered the seizure of such horses as were under 
this predicament ; and I likewise seized a great number which were with a 

** This succour, which had been sent, could not join the army of Portugal 
till after the battle^ ami at the moment of retreat. 



304 

one hundred and thirty officers of inferior rank, whilst the uuhj ■ 
ber of dead on the field was very large. Marraont himself lost 
an arm, which was amputated after the action, and himself nearly 

convoy coming from Andalusia; all upon estimation of their value, and 
making payment for them. This measure, executed with security, gave, in the 
space of eight days, 1,000 more horsemen ; and my cavalry, reunited, amount- 
ed to more than >,vi00 combatants. Meanwhile I no less hoped to receive 
succours from the army of the north, which continued its promises, the per- 
formance of which appeared to have commenced, hut of which we have not 
hitherto seen any effect. 

" The eighth division of the army of Portugal occupied the Asturias ; 
these troops were completely isolated from the army, by the evacuation of 
the provinces of Leon and Benevente : they were without succours, and with- 
out any communication with the army of the north ; because, on the one side, 
the I'rincadores, who should have come from Bayonne, could not be sent to 
Gijon ; and on the other side, the general in chief of the army of the north, 
although he had i'ormally promised to do so, had dispensed with throwing a 
bridge over the Deba,' * and there establishing posts. This division had been 
able to bring only very little ammunition for want of means of carriage ; and 
this was in part consumed ; nor did they know how to replace it. Its position 
might every moment become more critical, and the enemy seriously occu- 
pied himself with it; inasmuch as if it were still thus isolated, it would re- 
main entirely unconnected with the important events which were taking 
place in the plains of Castile. General Bonnet, calculating on this state of 
matters, and considering, according to the knowledge he has of the country, 
that it is much easier to enter than depart out of It, according as the enemy 
might oppose the entrance or departure, he decided on evacuating this pro- 
vince, and on taking a position at Reynosa; There, having learnt that the 
army of Portugal was in presence of the English army, and that they were 
on the point of engaging, he did not hesitate in putting himself in motion, and 
rejoining it. 

" Strongly impressed with the importance of this succour, and with the 
augmentation which my cavalry was about to receive ; not having learnt any 
thing positive farther concerning the array of the north ; and being besides 
informed of the march of the army of Gallicia, which, in the course of a few 
days, would necessarily force me to send a detachment to repulse them, I 
thought it my duty to act without delay. I had to fear that my situation, 
vhich was become much ameliorated, might change, by losing time ; whilst 

** Particular circumstances appear to have opposed the execution of this 
measure. 



305 

taken prisoner duriDg the pursuit. Four general officers also 
were killed, and several wounded. 

that of the enemy would, by the nature of tilings, become better every mo- 
ment. 

" I therefore resolved on repassing theDouro; but this operation is dif- 
ficult and delicate : it cannot be undertaken without much art and circum- 
spection in presence of an army in condition for battle. I employed the days 
of the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th of July, in making a number of marches and 
countermarches, which deceived the enemy. I feigned an intention to turn 
by Toro, and turned by Tordesillas, making an extremely rapid march. This 
movement succeeded so well, that the whole army could pass the river, 
move to a distance from it, and form itself, without meeting with a single 
enemy. 

" On the 17th the army took a position at Nava del Rey. The enemy, 
who was in full march for Toro, could only bring two divisions with celerity to 
Tordesillas de la Orden ; the others were recalled from different parte to re- 
unite themselves. 

" On the 18th, in the morning, we found these two divisions at Torde- 
sillas de la Orden. As they did not expect to find the whole army joined, 
they thought they might, without perii, gain some time. Nevertheless, when, 
they saw our masses coming forward, they endeavoured to effect their 
retreat to a ridge which commanded the village to which we were marching. 
" We had already reached it. If I had had a cavalry superior or 
equal to that of the enemy, these two divisions would have been destroyed. 
We did not, however, pursue them the less, with ail possible vigour ; and, 
during three hours' march, they were overpowered by the fire of our 
artillery, which I caused to take them in the rear and flank, and which they 
could with difficulty answer; and, protected by their numerous cavalry, they 
divided themselves to reascend the Guarena, in order to pass it with the 
greatest facility. 

" Arrived upon the heights of the valley of Guarena, we saw that a portion 
of the English army was formed upon the left bank of that river. In thai 
place the heights of that valley are very rugged, and the valley of a middling 
breadth. Whether it was necessary for the troops to approach the water, on 
account of the excessive heat, or whether it was from some other cause of 
which I am ignorant, the English general had placed the greater part of them 
on the bottom of the valley, within half cannon shot of the heights of which 
we were masters; I, therefore, upon arriving, immediately ordered a battery 
of forty pieces of artillery to be planted, which in a moment forced the ene- 
my to retire, after having left a great number of killed and wounded upon 
t.Vfc spot- The army marched in two eolnmns ; and I had given the comraawi 
•34 



306 

Such an advantage could not be gained without an adequate 
loss on the British side, but it was not of a magnitude to distress 
the army, or to cripple its operations. 

of the right column, distant from that of the left three quarters of a league, 
to General Clausel. Arrived upon this ground, General Clausel, having 
few troops before him, thought he was able to seize upon the two rising grounds 
upon the left bank of the Guarena, and preserve them ; but this attack was 
made with few troops, his troops had not halted, and scarcely formed ; the 
enemy perceived it, marched upon the troops, which he had thus thrown in 
advance, and forced them to retreat. In this battle, which was of short du- 
ration, we experienced some loss. The division of dragoons which supported 
the infantry vigorously charged all the English cavalry ; but General Car- 
riere, a little too far advanced from the 13th regiment, fell into the enemy's 
power. 

" The army remained in its position all the night of the 1 9th; it even 
remained in it all the day of the 20th. The extreme heat, and the fatigue 
experienced on the 18th, rendered this repose necessary to assemble the 
Stragglers. 

*« At four in the evening the army resumed its arms, and defiled by the 
left to proceed up the Guarena, and take a position in front of Olmo. My 
intention was, at the same time, to threaten the enemy, and continue to 
proceed up the Guarena, in order to pass it with facility ; or if the enemy 
marched in force upon the Upper Guarena, to return by a rapid movement 
upon the position they should have abandoned. The enemy followed my 
movement. 

" On the 20th, before day, the army was in motion to ascend the Guarena ; 
the advanced guard rapidly passed that river, at that part where it is but a 
stream, and occupied the commencement of an immense piece of ground, 
which continued without any undulation to near Salamanca. The enemy en- 
deavoured to occupy the same ground, but could not succeed ; then he at- 
tempted to follow a parallel rising ground, connected with the position they 
had just quitted, and which everywhere offered them a position, provided I 
should have marched towards them. The two armies thus marched parallel 
with all possible celerity, always keepiDg their masses connected, in order to 
be every moment prepared for battle. The enemy, thinking to be beforehand 
with us at the village of Cantalpiuo, directed a column upon that village, in 
the hope of being before us upon the rising ground which commands it, and 
towards whieh we marched; but their expectations were deceived. The 
light cavalry which I sent thither, and the 8th division, which was at the head 
of the column, marched so rapidly, that the enemy were obliged to abandon 
>t ; besides, the road from the other plain approaching too close to ours, and 
that which we had haying the advantage of commanding it with some 



307 

The only officer of high rant who fell was Major General Le 
Marchaot, to whom we may add Lieutenant Colonel Barlow of 

pieces of cannon, judiciously placed, greatly annoyed the enemy ; for a great 
part of the army was obliged to defile under this cannon, and the remainder 
was obliged to repass the mountain to avoid them. At last I put the dragoons 
in the enemy's track, The enormous number of stragglers which were left 
behind would have given us an opportunity of making 3,000 prisoners, had 
there been a greater proportion between our cavalry and theirs ; but the lat- 
ter, disposed so as to arrest our pursuit, to press the march of the infantry by 
blows from the flat sides of their sabres, and to convey those who could no 
longer march, prevented us. Nevertheless there fell into our hands between 
3 and 400 men, and some baggage. In the evening, the army eneamped upon 
the heights of Aldea Rubea, having its posts upon the Tornies. The enemy 
reached the position of San Christoval. 

" On the 21st, having been informed that the enemy did not occupy Alba 
de Tormes, I threw a garrison into it. The same day I passed the river in 
two columns, taking my direction by the skirts of the woods, and establish- 
ing my camp between Alba de Tormes and Salamanca. My object in taking 
this direction was to continue the movement by my left, in order to drive the 
enemy from the neighbourhood of Salamanca, and fight them with greater ad- 
vantage. I depended upon taking a good defensive position, in which the 
enemy could undertake nothing against me ; and in short come near enough to 
them to take advantage of the first faults they might make, and vigorously at- 
tack them. 

*\ On the 22d in the morning, I went upon the heights of Calbaraca de 
Azzeva to reconnoitre the enemy. I found a division which had just arrived 
there ; others were in march for the same place. Some firing took place for 
the purpose of occupying the posts of observation, of which wc respectively 
remained masters. Everything announced that it was the enemy's intention 
to occupy the position of Tejares, which was a league in the rear of that in 
which he then was, distant a league and a half from Salamanca. Thej', 
however, assembled considerable forces upon this point; and, as their move- 
ment upon Tejares might be difficult if all the French army was in sight, I 
thought it right to have it ready to act as circumstances required. 

" There were between us and the English some isolated points called the 
Arapiles. I ordered General Bonnet to occupy that which belonged to the 
position we ought to take; his troops did so with promptitude and dexterity. 
The enemy, ordered theirs to be occupied, but it was commanded by ours 
at 250 toises distance. I had destined this point, in the event of there being 
a general movement by the left, and a battle taking place, to be the pivot and 
point of support of the right to all the army. The first division had orders In 
flccupy and defend the ridge of Culb;yaca which is prof acted by a large aiwf 



308 

of the 61st. Amongst the Avounded, however, were Lieutenant 
Generals Cotton, Leith, Cole ; Major General Allen ; Lieutenant 

deep ravine. The 3d division was in the Cd line, destined to support it, and 
the 2d, 4th, 5th, and Gth, were at the head of the wood en masse, behind 
the position ofArapiles, and could march equally on all sides; whilst the 7th 
division occupied the left head of the wood, which formed a point extremely 
uneven and of very difficult access, and which I had lined with 20 pieces of 
artillery. The light cavalry was charged to clear the left, and place itself in 
advance of the 7th division. The dragoons remained in the 2d line, to the 
right of the army. Such were the dispositions made towards the middle of 
the day. 

" The enemy hadhfc troops parallel to me, extending his right by leaning 
towards the mountain of Tejares, which always appeared to be liis point of 
retreat. 

" There was in front of the ridge occupied by the artillery another vast 
ridge, easy of defence, and which had a more immediate effect on the enemy's 
movements. The possession of this ridge gave me the means, in case I should 
have manoeuvred towards the evening, of carrying myself on the enemy's 
communications on Tamamcs. This post, which was otherwise well occupied, 
was inexpugnable ; and in itself completed the position which I had taken. It 
was, besides, indispensably necessary to occupy it, seeing that the enemy had 
reinforced his centre, from whence he might push forward en masse on this 
ridge, and commence his attack by taking this important point. 

" In consequence, I gave orders to the 5th division to take position on the 
right extremity of this ridge, the fire from which exactly crossed that from 
Arapiles ; to the 7th division, to place itself in a second line to support this ; 
to the 2d to hold itself in reserve to the latter; and to the 6th to occupy the 
ridge at the head of the wood, where a large number of pieces of artillery 
were vet remaining. I gave like orders to General Bonnet, to cause the 12-d 
to occupy a point situated between the great ridge and the point of Arapiles, 
which defended the entrance of the village of Arapiles; and, finally, I gave 
orders to General Bover, commandant of the dragoons, to leave a regiment 
to clear the right of General Foy, and to push the three other regiments to 
the front of the wood, on the flank of the second division, in such manner as 
to be able, in case the enemy should attack the ridge, to attack them by the 
the right of this ridge, while the light cavalry should charge his left. 

" The most part of these movements were performed with irregularity. 
The 5th division, after having taken the post assigned to it, extended itself 
on its left, without any cause or reason. The 7th division, which had orders 
to support it, marched to its position ; and, in short, the 2d division was still 
in the rear. I felt all the consequences which might result from all these 
irregularities, and I resolved on remedying them myself on the spot, which 
was a very easy matter, the enemy not as yet having made any movement at 



309 

Colonels Elley, Barnes, Kingsbury, Bird, Cuyler, Ellis, Miles, 
Bingham, Williams, and May. 



all. At the same time, I received tlie report of the enemy Laving caused 
fresh troops to pass from his left to his right ; I ordered the 3d and 4th divi- 
sion to march by the skirts of the wood, in order that I might dispose them 
as I found needful. It was half past four o'clock, and I went to the ridge, 
which was to be the object of a serious dispute ; hut at this moment a 
shell struck me, broke my light arm, and made two large wounds on 
my right side : I thus became incapable of taking any kind of part in the 
command. 

" The precious time which I should have employed in rectifying the 
placing of the troops on the left, was fruitlessly passed ; the absence of the 
commandter gives birth to anarchy and from thence proceeds disorder ;** 
meanwhile the time was running away without the enemy under- 
taking any thing. At length, at five o'clock the enemy, judging that the situ- 
ation was favourable, attacked this ill formed left wing with impetuosity. The 
divisions engaged repulsed the enemy, and were themselves repulsed in their 
turn, hut they acted without concert and without method. The division which 
I had called to sustain that point found themselves in the situation of taking 
part in the combat without having foreseen it. 

I " Every general made extraordinary efforts to supply, by his own particular 
dispositions, such as were on the whole requisite ; but if he could attain it in 
part, yet he could not attain it completel}-. The artillery covered itself with 
glory, performed prodigies of valour, and in the midst of our losses caused 
the enemy to suffer enormously. He directed his attacks against A rapiles, 
which was defended by the brave 120th regiment, and was there repulsed, 
leaving more than 300 dead on the spot. At length the army evacuated 
the ridges, and retired to the skirts of the wood, where the enemy made fresh 
efforts. The division of Foy, wliich, by the nature of the business, was 
charged with the covering the retrograde movements, was attacked with 
vigour, and constantly repulsed the enemy. This division merits the greatest 
eulogy, as does likewise its general. From this moment, the retreat was 
effected towards Alba de Torir.es, without being disturbed by the enemy. 
Our loss amounted to about 6,000 men hors de combat. 

" We have lost nine pieces of cannon, which, being dismounted, could not be 
carried off; all the rest of the baggage, all the park of artillery, all the ma. 
terials belonging to the army, have been brought away. 

•* General Bonnet, who would have succeeded to the command as the 
oldest general of division, was wounded a few moments after the general in 
chief. This event contributed to prolong the uncertainty, and the want of 
unity of action. 



310 

The total British loss, during the day, and through the pursuit, 
amounted to 500 killed, 3,071 wounded, and 101 missing. Por- 

" It is difficult, M. Le Due, to express to you the different sentim-ents which 
agitated me at the fatal moment, when the wound which I received caused 
my being separated from the army. I would with delight have exchanged 
this wound for the certainty of receiving a mortal stroke at the close of tho 
day, to have preserved the faculty of command ; so well did I know the im- 
portance of the events which had just taken place, and how necessary the 
presence of the commander in chief was at the moment when the shock of 
the two armies appeared to be preparing, to give the whole direction to the 
troops, and to appoint their movements. Thus one unfortunate moment has 
destroyed the result of six weeks of wise combinations, of methodical more- 
ments, the issue of which had hitherto appeared certain, and which every- 
thing seemed to presage to us that we should reap the fruit of. 

" On the 23d the army made its retreat from Alba de Tormes, on Pena- 
randa, taking its direction towards the Douro ; the whole of the enemy's 
cavalry harassed ourrear guard, composed of the cavalry of the 1st division. 
This cavalry fell back, and left the division too much engaged ; but it formed 
itself in squares to resist the enemy. One of them was broken, the otherg 
resisted, and especially that of the 69th, which killed 200 of the enemy's 
horse by push of bayonet ; after this time they made no attempt on us. 

" General Clausel has the command of the army, and takes such measures 
as circumstances require. I am going to have myself transported to Bur- 
gos, where I hope by repose, and care taken, to recover of the severe wounds 
that I have received, and which afflict me more from the dire influence which 
they have had on the suecess of the arm j, than from the sufferings which they 
have caused me to endure. 

"I cannot do sufficient justice to the bravery with which the generals and 
colonels have fought, and to the good disposition which animated them in that 
difficult circumstance. I ought particularly to mention General Bonnet, 
whose reputation has been so long established. I should likewise name Ge- 
neral Taupin, who commanded the 6th division. General Clausel, though 
wounded, did not quit the field, but to the end, gave an example of great per- 
sonal bravery. The general of artillery Tidot, and Colonel Digion, com- 
manding the reserve of artillery, particularly distinguished themselves. On 
this day, unfortunate as it has been, there are a multitude of traits worthy of 
being noticed, rind which honour the French name. I will collect them, and 
solicit from his majesty rewards for the brave men who have deserved them. 
J ought not to d^fer mentioning the conduct of the brave sub-lieutenant 
Guillemat, of the 118th regiment, who sprung into the enemy's ranks to 
obtain a flag, which he seized, after having cut off the arm of the person who 
carried it ; he has brought this flag into our ranks, notwithstanding the severe 
bayonet wotfods he has received- 
5 



311 

tuguese, 338 killed 1,648 wounded, and 207 missing. Spaniards, 
2 killed, and 4 wounded ; making a grand total of 840 killed, 
4,723 wounded, and 308 missing. 

Up to the 30th, the British army continued the pursuit, and 
made many prisoners; being that day at Olmedo, about which 
time part of the fugitives crossed the Douro, whilst the remainder, 
consisting of the left wing, proceeded for Tudela.* 

It appears that the intrusive Joseph left Madrid on the 21st, 
with the army of the centre, supposed to consist of from ten to 
twelve thousand infantry, and from two to three thousand cavalry 
directing his march by the Escurial, towards Alba de Tormes. 
He arrived at Blasco Sanchez, between Avila and Arevelo, ou 
the 25th, where he heard of the defeat of Marmont, and judged it 
most prudent to retire that very evening, through Villa Castin to 
Espinar ; after which he directed his march, with all haste to 

" We have to regret the Iocs of the general of division Ferey, dead of his 
wounds, of General Thomieres, killed upon the field of battle, and of Ge- 
neral Desgraviers. Generals Bonnet and Clausel, and the general of brigade, 
Menne, are wounded. 

" I beg your excellency to receive the assurances ef my high con- 
sideration. 

" Signed, (with the left hand,) 

" The Marshal Duke of Ragusa" 

* A melancholy and affecting occurrence took pla«e, immediately after the 
battle, in a visit paid by an English lady to the fatal field, where she found the 
body of her gallant fallen husband. This was the amiable wife of Captain 
Prescottof the 7th fuzileers. She was thusleft a widow in a foreign country, 
with two infant orphans to protect ! but the humanity of British officers did 
every thing to alleviate her loss ! 

" Lord Wellington who, whenever there is an action, gets into the thick of 
it, had some hairbreadth and miraculous escapes ; he had balls passed through 
almost every part of his clothes ; nay, it was said that one of his holsters was 
shot away, and his thigh slightly grazed with a ball. 

" When the enemy had crossed the Douro, and had reached Valladolid, 
Marmont sent an aid-de-camp to his lordship, requesting permission to remain 
there without being considered as a prisoner of war ; but to sueh a prqp^esa 1 
his lordship could not listen." 



312 

Segovia; for so hard was he pressed that, shortly after his de- 
parture from Blasco Sancho, two officers aud Uventy-seven men 
of his own cavalry were taken prisoners by a patrole of the 
British. 

To describe the tumultuous joy which took place at home on 
this occasion is totally unnecessary; or to expatiate on the three 
days of continued illuminations, &c. — it is sufficient to say that 
on the 18th of August his royal highness the prince regent cre- 
ated the gallant earl a marquis of the united kingdom ; he having, 
before that, been elevated by the Spanish regency to the rank of a 
grandee of Spain, with the title of Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo, and 
created a Knight of the Golden Fleece. 

In addition to his other honours, bis royal highness also 
granted an armorial augmentation in the dexter quarter; of an 
" escutcheon charged with the crosses of St. George, St. An- 
drew, and St. Patrick, being'the union badge of the united king- 
dom, as [a lasting memorial of his glorious and transcendent 
achievements." 

It ought to be noticed also that the Portuguese regency, in ad- 
dition to the title of Conde de Vimiera had latterly created him a 
marquis in that kingdom, with the title of Torres Vedras. 

His recent appointment of general lissimo of the Spanish army, 
is not only an honourable mark of gratitude, but also a most judi- 
cious mark of confidence ; and one which, by producing unity of 
design and simultaneity of execution, may tend most efficaciously 
to the liberation of Hie Peninsula. 



313 



SECTION X. 

Salamanca— Anecdotes of its occupancy — Great change in the Spaniards ii\ 
favour of the British — Scandalous conduct of the French— Spanish consti- 
tution proclaimed — Retreat of the intrusive king — Exertions of the Spanish 
armies — Entrance to Valladolid — Affairs in the south — Gallant exertions of 
the cavalry — Affair of Hinojosa — Concentration and partial advance of the 
^rniy of Portugal — Capture of Astorgaby the patriots — Operations of :he 
guerillas in the vicinity of Bilboa — Defeat of the French columns by Men- 
dizabel — Services of the British squadron — British advance to Segovia — 
Check of the Portuguese cavalry- -The Marquis enters Madrid — Capture 
of the Retiro — Interesting anecdotes of the evacuation and entrance of the 
capital — Proclamation of the Spanish constitution — Return of the jura- 
mentados to allegiance — Metropolitan addresses to the marquis — Siege of 
Cadiz raised -Anecdotes of the preceding blockade— Gallant attack of the 
French at Seville — Recovery of that city — Expedition from Sicily — Its 
operations — Pursuit of the French army in the north — Affair at Valladolid, 
fxe. — Occupation of Burgos — Siege of the castle, and other interesting oc- 
currences, Sec. &c. &c. 

THE British head-quarters -were again fixed at Salamanca, 
The change which this elegant town had undergone since it be- 
came a French depot was highly illustrative of the horrors of war. 

But the greatest change observable in Salamanca, since its for- 
mer occupation by the army under Sir John Moore, was not so 
much the ruin and havoc which everywhere met the eye, as the 
change in the manners and sentiments of the inhabitants of this 
learned and polished city. 

When the British army were there formerly, the austerity and 
haughtiness of the inhabitants was observable in every thing; 
the British were received with cdbloess everywhere, and neither 
officers, men, nor general, were treated with much consideration ; 
but a four years' residence of the French among them had then 
©pened their eyes, and made the greatest imaginable change 

It was now beyond civility everywhere ; the whole British 
army, officers and men, were not only treated kindly, but ca- 
ressed; and the poor people seemed anxious to share their purses, 
their effects, in short, every thing they had, with them ; v 
40 



314 

give them up all, upon one condition— that of keeping away the 
rillanous French from them. 

On the 1st of August the new constitution was proclaimed 
with due solemnity at Salamanca, all public orders attending and 
faking the oaths, the grandees who had returned, the heads of 
religious houses, heads of colleges, municipality, and military. 

On the 3d of August a grand Te Deuin was performed at the 
cathedral ; there was also a bull fight, and in the evening a grand 
ball ; the theatre being likewise open every night. In short, if 
appearances were to be believed, the Spanish natives, wherever 
our troops now arrived, seemed determined to preserve and to 
enjoy their liberties. 

The operations of the two armies, after this decisive and san- 
guinary action, are too deserving of detail to be passed slightly 
over; accordingly, we must notice that the French army of the 
centre, after having passed through the Guadarama pass, and 
after its head had arrived at the Venta de San Raphael, returned 
to Segovia, where Joseph Bonaparte arrived on the night of the 
27th of July. 

The object of this movement was apparently to divert the allied 
troops from the pursuit of the army of Portugal, and to enable 
the latter to maintain themselves upon the Douro; in which, how- 
ever, the enemy did not succeed. Their rear guard remained iu 
some strength on the left of the Douro, during the 28th and 29th ; 
but the light and 1st divisions, and the cavalry, having crossed 
the Eresraa and Cega rivers on the latter day, the enemy's rear 
guard retired during the night across the Douro, and thence fol- 
lowed the movements of the maiu body towards Villa Vanezj 
abandoning Valladolid, and leaving there seventeen pieces of can- 
non, a large quantity of shot and shells, and other stores, and 
their hospital with about eight hundred sick and wounded. 

The Spaniards were not idle at this time in their various de- 
tached parties ; and on the 30th, the general iu chief of that dis- 
trict, Macquinez, took three hundred prisoners in the neighbour- 
hood of Valladolid ; and at the same period, the allied advanced 
guard crossed the Douro, and entered Valladolid, in which, as 



315 

ihe'raarquis himself observed, he had the satisfaction of beiog 
received -by the people with the same enthusiastic joy as he had 
been in all other parts of the country. 

The army of Portugal having thus crossed and quitted the 
Douro, it was necessary to attend to the movements of the army 
of the centre, and to prevent a junction between the two on the 
Upper Douro, which report stated to be intended. 

On the 31st of July the British head-quarters were at Portello; 
and on that morning Lord Wellington and his staff entered Valla- 
dolid. 

The enthusiasm with which his lordship was received was be- 
yond all description ; and he was met by the magistracy in their 
full order, accompanied by Don Julian Sanchez, who had arrived 
before him.* 

* " Villavanez, August 2, three leagues from Valladolid. 

*• On the 30th we entered Valladolid; two squadrons of the 12th light dra- 
goons had the honour of escorting Lord Wellington on his entree, and were 
the only British troops who entered the town ; the reception was flattering ; 
and, if we were to trust to appearances, the people must have heen in great 
joy ; shouts of viva los Ingleses almost stunned us. His lordship was re- 
ceived with all the honours of war, by Martinez's corps of guerillas in the 
Plaza Major. The windows of the square were crowded with people, whose 
exclamations corresponded with the pedestrian spectators. The French left 
«n the town 600 men, mostly sick and wounded, whom we took prisoners. Be- 
fore their departure they destroyed a large quantity of stores, wagons, arms; 
&c. and blew up the bridge over the Pisuerga, near the town. The bridge 
over the Douro, at Tudela, is also destroyed King Joseph is watched by the 
3d, 4th, and 7th divisions, the heavy German, and General D'Urban's Portu- 
guese cavalry, which are very fine troops, 

« The general officers on both sides have not been neglected by the balls. 
Marmont's wound is severe ; the irritation of his mind increases it much. 
General Ferrier died of his wounds at Almeida. The enemy are retiring to- 
wards Burgos and Aranda ; from the former we are thirteen leagues, from the 
latter eight. The guerillas are active against stragglers and small bodies ; at 
Mugos, four leagues hence, they killed seven and took five yesterday. We, 
who have the advance, have but little spare time ; we mount every morning 
at two o'clock, and pass sometimes twelve and fourteen hours on horseback. 

« A French officer at Valladolid said that the army never Lad so severe a 
lrasiness.'* 



316 

The marquis immediately took the route for Madrid; and. 
"Whilst the advanced guard and the left continued the pursuit ot 
the army of Uprtugal, moved the right along the Cega to Cuellar, 
where he arrived on the 1 st of August. 

On that very day Joseph Bonaparte retired from Segovia, 
early in the morning, and marched through the Guadarama pass. 
On this occasion he left at Segovia an advanced guard, princi- 
pally of cavalry, under General Espert; but destroyed the can- 
non and ammunition which were in the castle. 

On the 3d of August the marquis detached a force under 
Brigadier General D'Urban to occupy Segovia, and at the same 
time it appears that Marmont's army were still continuing their 
retreat towards Burgos; whilst, in Estremadura, the enemy 
were endeavouring to increase their force. 

At this period the war was carried on with additional lustre 
to the British arms in all parts of the Peninsula, particularly iu 
the south, near Los Santos, where a considerable force was sta- 
tioned under Lieutenant General Sir William Erskine as part of 
Sir Rowland Hill's army. 

On the 24th of the preceding month (July) a body of the 
enemy's cavalry, consisting of two regiments of dragoons and 
one of chasseurs, under the command of general of brigade 
Almand, attacked, early in the morning, the Portuguese piquet 
at Hinojosa, which they drove iu as far as Ribera, where four 
iquadrous of Portuguese cavalry were stationed, under the com- 
mand of Colonel Campbell. 

This force being greatly inferior to that of the assailants, Co- 
lonel Campbell was under the necessity of retiring upon Villa 
Franca, which he did in the best order : at the same time Major 
General Long advanced from Villa Franca with the brigade of 
British cavalry under his command, and Captain Lefebure'a 
troop of horse artillery to support him. 

The major general, indeed, had received the report of the 

enemy's advance upon Ribera too late to admit of his guarding 

against their occupation of that town, and the commanding 

heights iu its vicinity; besides, the accounts of his force were 

■3 



317 

vX first so differently represented, that, there being three troops 
of the brigade absent, he thought it not advisable to act against 
him until, they could be recalled ; and as the attempt to dislodge 
him might briDg on a serious affair on ground on which ail the 
advantages were on the enemy's side, he was anxious, therefore, 
to secure the support of the 3d dragoon guards stationed at Fu- 
ente del Maestre, and to wait for the report of what might be 
passing on the side of Usagre, before "he commenced any offensive 
movement. Then finding upon the arrival of the patrole from 
Usagre that no enemy was in that neighbourhood, he directed 
the troops he had with him to proceed against the enemy in 
front. 

The brigade under Almand, on perceiving the advance of the 
force under General Long, halted on the high ground betwixt 
Rihera and Villa Franca; and, during the interval of halt on 
both sides, Sir William Erskine directed Major General Slade, 
with two regiments of his brigade, to move from Los Santos, and 
direct his march on the left flank and rear of the enemy. 

On the advance of General Long, though with a very inferior 
force, the enemy immediately retired across the river, which 
enabled him to bring up his artillery on the heights they had re- 
linquished, and to employ it with evident and very great effect, 
and afterwards to continue his advance and pursuit, as rapidly as 
was consistent with prudence, under all those circumstances, 
cxen beyond the defile of Hinojosa ; where", from the lateness of 
the hour, and the fatigue sustained by the troops, he thought it 
prudent to halt. 

. At Hinojosa the two regiments under Major General Slade 
joined Major Major General . Long's brigade, though not in time 
to cut off the retreat. 

This little affair sufficiently established the allied superiority, 
though inferior in numbers; but the French loss, froai their 
retiring so early, was very small, otly amounting to thirty men 
and many horses killed, with eleven men and about thirty horses 
taken, whilst, on the allied side, there were only one man killed 
and seven wounded. . 



318 

In the north of Spain, when the Marquis of Wellington trans- 
ferred his head quarters to Cuellar, the Gallician divisions, then 
occupying La JNava and Polios, crossed the Douro again, and 
General Santocildes established his head-quarters io Valladolid. 
On the 7th of August Tordesillas capitulated, and the siege of 
Toro was undertaken, but with means very insufficient. 

On the 12th of August the enemy advanced, with about seven 
thousand infantry and one thousand five hundred cavalry, from 
Palencia towards Valladolid, which then was only occupied by 
one battalion. On this advance, General Santocildes found him- 
self compelled to retire, taking the road by Torrelobaton towards 
Villalpaudo. 

The French now advanced towards Toro ; and it was ascer- 
tained that their objects were to relieve Toro and Zamora, and 
then to march to Astorga, to raise the siege, and, having with- 
drawn the garrison, to destroy the works. 

General Santocildes immediately withdrew the Spanish troops 
which were before Toro, and that place was instantly abandoned 
by the enemy ; after which the Spanish general, having collected 
all his force at Belver, on the Rio Seco, commenced his retreat 
on Benevente, near which place the enemy's cavalry came up 
with that of the 6th army, (about 400,) and in the affair which 
followed sustained some loss. 

On the 19th of August Astorga surrendered, when the French 
troops had already reached La Baneza in advance to its relief; 
but they immediately retired from thence on hearing of the cap- 
ture of that place; a loss to them of great importance, and to pre* 
vent which they had commenced the before-mentioned operations. 

On retiring from La Baneza, the French troops took the direc- 
tion of Zamora ; but evacuated that place on the morning of the 
27th of August, retiriog by Toro to Valladolid, when the Galli- 
cian army again moved forward, and at the close of the month 
occupied cantonments on theCsla, in the towns and villages near 
Villamanan, as will be more fully noticed. 

The exertions of the Spanish troops in the direction of Bilboa, 
also, are too important to be slightly passed oyer. About the 1 3th 



319 



of August General Rouget, with a force of nearly three thousanc. 
men, advanced from Durango to attack Bilboa. General Reno- 
Tales immediately took up a position on the left bank of the river, 
having his right on the heights of JBolueta and Ollargan, defend- 
ing the new bridge of Bolueta; his reserve at Castragaoa. As 
soon as the enemy's force was ascertained, General Renovates 
formed his plan of attack ; part of the vanguard and Campillo's 
regiment were to pass the river at Portugalette, and proceed to 
the heights of Santo Domingo, to attack the enemy's right at day- 
break on the 14th, whilst General Poriier, with the vanguard, 
attacked the enemy who were in possession of the two bridges in 
the town ; and the troops at the bridge of Bolueta and the heights 
of Ollargan were to attack the enemy's left, which was strongly- 
posted on the heights of Begonaand El Morro. 

At three o'clock on the morning of the 14th the attack com. 
menced with great vigour, and after a heavy fire of four hours 
the enemy were driven from the bridges of the town, and from 
the heights of Begona and Morro ; and at nine o'clock they com- 
menced a precipitate retreat towards Zornosa, pursued by General 
Renovates' division, and the vanguard, headed by Poriier: but 
had the troops which were to have attacked the enemy's right 
arrived at the appointed time, the victory would have been most 
complete; and probably General Rouget, with the greater part 
of his troops, would have been cut off from Durango. 

Their loss on this occasion far exceeded that of the Spaniards, 
which was very small in comparison with the magnitude of the 
advantage. 

The steadiness of the new raised troops of General Renovates" 
division proved what the Spaniards might be under proper disci- 
pline; much, indeed, was certainly owing to that officer himself, 
who is stated to have been indefatigable in his exertions to com- 
plete and to organize his force. 

On the. 15th the Spanish army occupied Galdacano and Zor- 
nosa, with their advance close to Durango, which place the 
enemy had taken great pains to strengthen, having some artillery 
o« the bridge of Yurreta, and occupying several houses in that 



town, besides having an encampment on its left, on the heights of 
Santa Lucia and Betuno. 

On the night of the 20th information was received at the 
Spanish head-quarters, that the enemy were advancing to the 
attack, and that a column had marched to Orduua, the hi»h road 
from which to Bilboa joins the road from Zornosa to the latter 
place, about a mile distant from it. On this information, Gene- 
ral Mendizabel determined to fall back and wait for the enemy 
on the left bank of the river, in nearly the same position as thai 
occupied by General Renovates in the preceding affair. 

On the night of the 21st the French advanced from Durango 
in three columns ; two of which came by way of Zornosa, and the 
other by Villero, with a view of getting possessiou of the heights 
that led from Arrigorriaga, and flanked those of Bolueta, which 
latter formed the right and key of the Spanish position. Reno- 
vales' division occupied the ground from those heights of 
Bolueta to those of Olaviaga, which supported the left, covering 
the bridge of St. Anton, the wooden bridge, and the bridge of 
boats. 

At daybreak on the morning of the 22d, General Mendizabel, 
with part of the vanguard, proceeded to attack the column ap- 
proaching by Villero, directing that the division of Iberia should 
meet him at Arrigorriaga. Dispositions were now made on the 
part of the Spaniards which seemed to ensure the destruction of 
that column; but the enemy, on finding them in possession of the 
bridge of Arrigorriaga and the roads leading to Bilboa, changed 
their direction, and by a most rapid march, favoured by the 
thickness of the woods, effected their junction with the second 
column, which was destined to make a simultaneous attack upon 
the bridge of Bolueta. 

General Mendizabel with his vanguard, and Longar's division, 
arrived there in time to resist the enemy's attack ; their princi- 
pal efforts being directed to force the Bolueta bridge, which was 
defended in the most gallant manner. Here die French suffered 
considerably without gaining a foot of ground: and their efforts 
on the left of the line proved equally unsuccessful : for General 



321 

Rcnovalcs at the head of his brave peasant soldiers met then- 
attack in every point. 

On the left the French attempted in vain to force the two 
bridges of the town, and that of boats ; and, night coming on } 
they retired to their position on the heights of Santo Domingo 
el Morro and Begona. 

Arrangements were now made by General Mendizabel for a 
combined attack on the French position; but finding that they had, 
upon being attacked by Renovales, who crossed the river in front 
of the heights of Bauderos early in the night, commenced their 
retreat, no time was lost in pursuing them; and notwithstanding 
the great advantage they had in point of time, yet from the rapi- 
dity with which the division of Iberia marched, the pursuers 
came up with the fugitives near the town of Zornosa, and attacked 
the rear with such vigour that this retreat became a confused 
and disorderly flight; insomuch that they did not even avail 
themselves, as they might have done, of several strong positions 
which the road from Zornosa to Durango presents. 

At one of the strongest of these positions, indeed, they made 
an effort to stand ; but the gallantry of Commandant General 
Longa completely checked them; for he led the attack at the 
head of his troops, animating them by his example, and having 
charged with a few cavalry and a small body of infantry, the 
enemy were obliged to abandon this position, and to fly for safety 
to the town of Durango. 

In these affairs the enemy's loss was very considerable, and 
many prisoners and horses were taken by the Spaniards. The 
enemy's force was upwards of six thousand veteran troops, com- 
manded by skilful French generals, particularly Rouget and 
Duvernette ; and the advantages resulting from the victory were 
not confined to the clearing this district of the enemy, but pro- 
duced the best effects by the confidence with which it inspired 
the new raised Spanish troops. 

During the whole of these operations, a constant correspond 
deuce and active cooperation was kept up by a British squadron 
41 



332 

under the command of Sir Home Popham, who proceeded from 
point to point, conveying arms to the Spaniards, and transporting 
their troops wherever their presence was thought most effica- 
cious. 

HaviDg thus taken a view of the Spanish exertions in other 
parts of the Peninsula, it is proper to return to the operations of 
the Marquis of Wellington, who having found that the army 
under Marmont, so lately defeated, continued their retreat upon 
Burgos, in a state not likely to take the field again for some time, 
determined to bring Joseph Bonaparte to a general action, or 
force him to quit Madrid. Accordingly, his lordship moved 
from Cuella on the 6th of August, arrived at Segovia on the 7th, 
and at St. Ildefonso on the 8th, where he halted one day, in order 
to allow the right of the army more time to come up. 

No opposition was made to the passage of the troops through 
the mountains; and Brigadier General D'Urban with the Portu- 
guese cavalry, and first light battalion of the King's German 
Legion, and Captain Macdonald's troop of horse artillery, had 
been brought through the Guadarama pass as early as the 9th. 
The brigadier general then moved forward on the morning of 
the 11th from the vicinity of Galapagas, and, supported by the 
heavy cavalry of the King's German Legion from Torrelodonas, 
drove in the French cavalry, about two thousand in number, and 
placed himself at Majalahonda, with the Portuguese cavalry and 
Captain BTacdonald's troop, and the cavalry and light infantry of 
the King's German Legion at Las Royas, about three quarters of 
a mile distant. 

The enemy's cavalry, which had been driven off in the morn- 
ing, and had moved towards Naval Carnero, returned about five 
in the afternoon of that day ; and Brigadier General D'Urban 
having formed the Portuguese cavalry in front of Majalahonda, 
supported by the horse artillery, ordered the cavalry to charge 
the enemy's leading squadrons, which appeared too far advanced 
to be supported by the main body. The Portuguese cavalry 
advanced to the attack, but unfortunately turned about before 
they reached the enemy ; and they fled through the village of 



323 

Majalahonda, and back upon the German dragoons, leaving be- 
hind them, unprotected and unsupported, those guns of Captain 
Macdonald's troop, which «he had moved forward to cooperate 
with the cavalry. 

By the activity of the officers and soldiers of Captain Mac- 
donald's troop, the guns were, however, moved off; but owing 
to the unfavourable nature of the ground over which they were 
moved, the carriage of one was broken, and two others were 
overturned— and these three guns fell into the enemy's hands. 

The Portuguese dragoons, after flying through Majalahonda, 
were rallied and re-formed upon the heavy dragoons Gf the King's 
German Legion, which were formed between that village and Las 
Koyas. The German cavalry then charged the enemy, although 
under many disadvantages, and stopped their further progress: 
but this they did only after suffering considerable loss, and 
having Colonel Jonquieres, who commanded the brigade, taken 
prisoner. 

At this moment the left of the army was about two miles aud 
a half distant, at the Puente de Ratemer, on the Guadarama 
river, and Colonel Ponsonby's brigade of cavalry, and a brigade 
of infantry of the 7th division having moved forward to the sup- 
port of the troops in advance, the enemy retired upon Majala- 
honda as soon as they observed those troops, and night having 
come on, they retired upon Alcorcon, leaving the captured guns 
at Majalahonda, where they were again taken possession of. 

In this unpleasant affair of the Portuguese cavalry it was still 
a satisfaction to the marquis that he was able to report that their 
officers had behaved remarkably well, and showed a good exam- 
ple to their men, particularly the Viscoude de Barbacena, who 
was taken prisoner. But the conduct of the brave German 
cavalry was particularly excellent, as well as 'that of Captain 
Macdonald's troop of horse artillery. After this partial affair, 
the whole army moved forward on the morning of the 12th, and 
its left took possession of the city of Madrid, Joseph Bona- 



324 

parte having retired with the army of the centre by the roads of 
Toledo and Aranjuez, leaving a garrison in the Retiro.* 

The marquis finding himself completely in possession of the 
city of Madrid, directed the operations for the investment of the 
Retiro to take place, which were completed in the even- 
ing of the 13th; and on that night detachments of the 7th 
division of infantry under the commaud of Major General Hope, 
and of the 3d division of infantry under the command of the ho- 
nourable Major General Edward Pakenham, drove in the enemy's 
posts from the Prado and the botanical garden, and the works 
which they had constructed outside of the park wall ; and having 
broken through the wall in different places they were established 
in the palace of the Retiro, and close to the exterior of the 
enemy's works, enclosing the building called La China. 

The troops were preparing in the morning to attack these 
works, preparatory to the arrangements to be adopted for the 
attack of the interior line and building, when the governor sent 
out an officer to desire to capitulate, and the marquis granted 
him the honours of war, with the security of the soldiers' bag- 
gage, &c. 

On the 14th the garrison marched out on their road to Ciudad 
Rodrigo ; and the works, on being taken possession of, were found 
to contain a garrison consisting of two colonels, a number of other 
officers, and a total of rank and file, &c. amounting in the whole 
to 2,508. 

Of all kinds of stores there was found 181 pieces of ordnance, 
21,832 round shot, 1,148 shells, 23,000 muskets, near three mil- 
lions of ba\l cartridges, with a profusion of other stores belonging 
to the army of the centre ; to which we must add a great quan- 

* The Retiro is not a park-like enclosure adjacent to Madrid, but the an- 
ient palace of the Spanish monarchs, and inhabited as such until the last two 
reigns, when Charles the Second, who completed the new palace at the wes- 
tern side of the metropolis, repaired thither with his court. The palace of 
u El Bueno Retiro" is seated rather on an eminence at the east side of the 
city, and is surrounded by extensive grounds and gardens. 



325 

tity considered as belonging to the army of Portugal, amounting 
to eight field guns, a quantity of shot, 700 barrels of powder s 
800,000 ball cartridges, with an immense quantity of intrench- 
ing tools, &c. &c. &c. 

The events which took place in Madrid, previous to, and 
after this success, are too important to be slightly passed over. 

In order to prevent confusion in the delineation of these events, 
the patriotic narrator adopted a chronological arrangement— and 
that we shall follow. 

On the 10th of August, as soon as accounts arrived of the 
battle of Salamanca, and of its fortunate issue for the cause of 
the allies, symptoms of inquietude and perplexity were observed 
in the whole court of Joseph Napoleon, who were well informed 
of the event, though they chose to pretend a belief in Marmout 
having gained a victory. 

The alarm and dread which this occasioned in the French and 
their partisans was the greater, as they had hitherto reposed a 
blind confidence in their own strength, conceiving their troops to 
be invincible, notwithstanding the many defeats they had already 
suffered, both in Portugal and S 

This prejudice being thus dissipated, the perturbation and 
confusion into which they were thrown sufficiently pointed out 
to the suffering citizens the real state of affairs, which they in vain 
endeavoured to conceal.. The public joy was manifested on all 
sides. The report of the great event was speedily circulated 
among the patriots, and the police was in despair, seeing that all 
their efforts to prevent it were in vain. 

The departure, or rather flight, of Joseph, of his court, and 
partisans, having been determined on in repeated councils of 
state, it chanced that about six in the evening of the 9th, some 
soldiers, who had been stationed to observe the heights of Gua- 
darama, gave notice that they saw English battalions descending 
them. 

Consternation immediately spread through the palace—orders 
and counter orders were given— and at length it was finally de- 
termined to leave the city at six in the morning of the 10th. 



'&2Q 

This anticipation increased the disorder of the fugitives. la 
the greatest confusion, the immense convoy of the intrusive go- 
\ eminent was collected. Mourning and lamentation spread 
through all the houses of the partisans. 

Some sold their moveables for half their value, or what they 
could get; others gave them to be kept by their friends; and 
others asked that favour from the insurgents themselves, whom 
but a few days before they had looked on with disdain. They 
turned into money all they could save of the wreck of their 
property. 

Aribos and Aguelo, the confidential ministers of the intrusive 
king, having arrived at Madrid on this day, the one with a 
large escort, and the other only accompanied by three soldiers, 
they found the public indignation so strong that they were glad 
to march off in the morning of the 11th, with the remainder of 
the French troops, except those left in the Retiro. 

On the 12th of August the French garrison destined for the 
defence of the Retiro shut itself up within these works, fearing 
the indiguation and revenge of the populace ; and as soon as they 
left the city, the shops were again opened in full confidence- of 
the speedy approach of the British, though they had all been 
shut for two days, from a fear of plunder arising from a know- 
ledge which every body had of former proceedings of the French 
army on a similar occasion, and the people now felt themselves, 
as it were, able to respire after the oppression and slavery with 
which they had been hitherto borne down. In fact, as described 
by the Spanish narrator, the inhabitants, giving themselves up 
to their joy, manifested, by their language and embraces, all that 
flame of patriotism which they had been so long obliged to 
conceal. 

In the afternoon of that day the allied army began to enter the 
city, and from that moment the public joy knew no bounds. 

The entrance of the Marquis cf Wellington into Madrid was 
grand in the extreme. They were frantic with joy. 

The entrance into Salamanca, Segovia, and Ildefonso, was 
equal to the triumphal entries of the heroes of antiquity. But 
5 



327 

when on the second day Lord Wellington made his entry into 
the capital, the spectacle was truly grand. His lordship Avas 
attended by the flower of the British nobility, and by all the 
generals of the allied army ; whilst the Spanish nobility, the dig- 
nitaries of the church, the magistrates, and all the principal in- 
habitants, came out to meet him accompanied by almost the whole 
population of the city, to be present at the ceremony of the pre- 
sentation of the keys. 

The air was rent with cries of " Vive le Due de Rodrigo 
grande"~but the elegant females and those of the first rank were 
the most particular ; they threw under the horses' feet not only 
laurels and flowers, but a very great many threw their shawls 
and veils, which were of the finest texture. 

During this and the following days, the acclamations and 
vivas, which hailed the conquerors of Salamanca, never ceased 
for a minute.* The doors of all the houses were seen instantly 
adorned as if by enchantment; and every thing contributed to 
prove that the inhabitants considered this day as the Aurora of 
liberty. 

On the 13th of August in the evening, as we have already no- 
ticed, the investment and blockade of the Retiro commenced : and 
on that day was proclaimed, by order of the Marquis of Welling- 
ton, as Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo, the constitution formed by the 
general and extraordinary cortes of the kingdom ; Don Carlos 
Espaaa, governor of the capital and its province, and Marshal 
Miguel Alava, presiding at the act. 

On this solemn and important occasion, the concourse of peo- 
ple, of applauding crowds, was immense, and appeared to Lave 
multiplied the inhabitants of the capital, who, during the reign of 
the French tyranny, had been reduced to one third of their origi- 
nal number. The ceremony was performed amidst the rear of 

* When the French garrison was marched out of the Retiro, though they 
were privately sent off by a detour, the populace got notice, and were with 
difficulty kept by the British and Portuguese guards from taking vengeance on 
such of the officers and men as had committed the greatest depredations o* 
them. 



the enemy's cannon, who were then making their last efforts to 
defend the enclosure of the Retire 

The narrator then proceeds to state that on the 1-lth the Re- 
tiro surrendered at noon, just at the time when the scaling ladders 
■were preparing for the asa^ilt ; when the garrison, amounting 
to 1,900 men, marched out prisoners, leaving behind them near 
200 pieces of cannon, 20,000 muskets, and a quantity of other 
effects. 

On this day, in virtue of the royal decree of the regency of 
the kingdom, the swearing to the constitution of the country took 
place in all the parishes of the capital. 

The Spanish authorities, however, were not content with mere 
demonstrations of joy ; but, under the guidance of the marquis, 
took a most important step for the speedy return of the misled 
juramentados to their social and military duties, and General 
Alava republished his proclamation to the Spanish soldiers under 
Joseph's colours, which had already been issued from the head- 
quarters of the Anglo-Hispauo-Portuguese army, on the 29th of 
the preceding month ; in which he says, " The general and ex- 
traordinary cortes of the nation, wishing to celebrate the political 
itution of the monarchy? have decreed a general pardon to 
all Spanish military men, of whatever rank they may be, and who 
are in t!ie service of the tyrant, upon their abandoning it and 
presenting themselve% to the Spauish chiefs with as little delay 
as possible. Being charged by the supreme government to the 
Duke ofCiudad Rodjigo, \ jptdge it my duty to make you ac- 
quainted with the favourable disposition of our legitimate govern- 
ment, in order that ycu may take advantage of it, and return into 
the bosom of your beloved country, and the estimation of your 
countrymen. The moment is most opportune. The enemy cannot 
much longer support themselves in the interior of the country, and 
in retiring from our frontiers your fate is decided ; you are going 
to perish in the wax of the north. 

" Your country, brothers, friends, are greatly offended by your 
infamous desertion; and you wiii give rise to a new war, unless 
you accept of the offers of this proclamation. Hasten, then, i 



329 

present yourselves to the Spanish authorities, or the advanced 
posts of the allied army ; and in this manner you will cause your 
faults to be forgotten, by showing that your heart was Spanish, 
although your exterior deportment gave reason for doubting it." 

The Spanish general concluded his address by stating that all 
those who came in should also be paid for their arms, and such 
other military articles as they should bring with them ; and so 
great was the effect of the proclamation, that even in the course 
of a few days, a great number of those unfortunate and misguided 
men made their appearance; and, having taken the oaths of 
fidelity, joined their brethren in arms. 

In fact, it had such an influence as even to produce desertions 
from Joseph's army to the amount of thousands daily. His whole 
line of retreat, in skort, was covered with deserters ; and on the 
21st it was known that this intrusive king had changed his route, 
and A?as then proceeding by the Arragon road. 

At this period the towns of La Mancha Avere inundated with 
deserters from his army ; and nearly 2,000, it was said, had en- 
tered the capital, whilst many of the French partisans, avIio had 
not actually taken up arms, returned to their homes extremely 
disgusted with the treatment which they had met with from the 
retreating army. 

The Marquis of Wellington still remained in the capital until 
the 22d of August, and on that morning the neAV council went in 
a body from the consistorial hall, Avith the ceremonies of state, 
uuder the presidency of the field marshal Don Carlos D'Espana, 
commandant general, ad interim, of ]NW Castile, and of the 
capital, and proceeded to the royal palace, to compliment him as 
General Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo; and being admitted into his 
presence, the general addressed his excellency, in the name of 
the whole council, in the following terms: — 

" Most excellent lord — The council of the capital of Spain, 
AThich has deserved the public conlideuce, and which was elected 
according to the laws of the Spanish monarchy, sanctioned by 
the general and extraordinary cortes of the nation, comes to offer 
• o your ejer \lencj the sincere expression of its respect and gra= 
42 



330 

titude. The inhabitants of Madrid justly celebrated in history 
by their heroic patriotism, and who, in the glorious struggle in 
which the nation is eugaged, were the first people who, without 
other force than their loyalty, shed their blood to defend the in- 
dependence of their country and the rights of their legitimate 
sovereign, manifest to your excellency, by the voice of their 
magistrates, the satisfaction they feel at seeing in the palace of 
their kings the illustrious conqueror of Vimiera and Talavera— 
the deliverer of Portugal — the conqueror of Ciudad Rodrigo and 
Badajoz — the hero who, in the plains of Salamanca, humbled the 
pride of our perfidious and cruel enemies, frustrated their de- 
signs, and broke the chains which disgraced the capital of the 
Spanish empire — a memorable victory which history shall 
transmit to the most remote posterity. 

" My lord duke — The representatives of a most loyal and 
grateful people hope that your excellency, thus worthily placed 
at the head of Spanish greatness, will be pleased to take this 
capital under your particular protection ; and that the effects of 
this benefit will be the continuation of that precious liberty 
Which we acknowledge to owe to ,'your excellency, and the re- 
storation to his throne of the monarch who is the object of our 
persevering love and honour, and destined to reign, according to 
a Avise constitution, over au illustrious people, who will forever 
be Avorthy of their liberty from the sacrifices they have made," 

To this the marquis returned the following answer : — 

" I am very sensible of the honour which the most noble and 
loyal council of Madrid has doue me in this visit, add am highly 
gratified with the polite language in which your excellency 
speaking in its name, has been pleased to mention the principal 
occurrences of the Avar in which I have borne a part. I have 
particular satisfaction in recei\~ing a body of magistrates elected 
by the faithful people of Madrid according to the forms provided 
by the constitution, sanctioned by the general and extraordinary 
cortes, which, possessing the confidence and influence of the peo- 
ple, carry into execution the laws with impartiality and vigour. 

The events of war are in the hands of Providence ; but I trust 



831 

that thwse gentlemen and the inhabitants of Madrid will not doubt, 
that I shall continue to make every effort in my power to carry 
into execution the orders of his royal highness, who exercises the 
authority in the name of his Britannic majesty, in behalf of the 
interesting cause of Spain ; and I hope that these efforts will not 
only contribute to preserve the peace and security of the eity of 
Madrid, but also ultimately to establish the independence, pros- 
perity, and happiness of Spain." 

The Spaniards were now not inactive in the general cause ; 
and about the 28 th of August their patriotic army of the centre, 
consisting of their 2d and 3d armies, after continually moving 
about for 10 days, had at last finally taken post at Hellin, in the 
kingdom of Murcia, for the purpose of observing the movements 
both of Soult's and Suchet's forces. 

At these stationary head-quarters, there daily presented them- 
selves an immense number of French partizans and juramenta- 
dos ; the first wishing to embrace the patriotic cause and enter 
the Walloon guards, the others being destined for the infantry 
corps. 

Some juramentado officers had likewise deserted at that pe- 
riod ; but they, as they had appeared at a time when the country 
had no occasion for their services, were sent to Majorca as com- 
mon soldiers. 

On the 28th, General Frere, with 1,200 cavalry, had advanced 
between Allacete and Bonete, and General Bassecourt was in 
Allora, and to the latter officer a number of deserters were daily 
presenting themselves from Suchet's army, in consequence of 
his proximity to Almanza, the first place on the enemy's line. 

About this period, General Mina attacked a corps of the ene- 
my, composed of 3,000 infantry and 200 horse, on the high Pam- 
plona road, near Tulos; the enemy's loss on this occasion con- 
sisted of from 8 to 900 men, whilst that of the Spaniards was but 
of trifling consideration. 

Geueral Villa Campa, also, near Requina, attacked more than 
1,000 of the enemy's infantry, with some artillery and cavalry, 
commanded by General Baron Mepos, completely destroying 



332 

them ; the greater part were made prisoners, others were wound- 
ed, or killed, and the remainder saved themselves by dispersion, 
leaving behind them two pieces of artillery, the ammunition 
wagons, the convoy of stores, &c. and all the baggage : which 
shall be more fully noticed. 

About the 24th of August intelligence was received at Madrid 
that Valencia had surrendered to the expedition from Majorca, 
and that Tarragona and Lerida were also in the hands of the 
allies. 

At that period, in the south, General Hill had orders to ad- 
vance, and his operations were to be conducted in conjunc- 
tion with the division at Ayamonte, and with the forces under 
Ballasteros. 

Up to this time the greatest harmony prevailed between the 
allies and native troops; and, consistently with this good under- 
standing, the Spanish guerillas in the neighbourhood of Madrid 
placed themselves under the command of the marquis; and, 
amongst the principal chiefs who had concurred in this arrange- 
ment, were Medico and the Empecinado. 

Great hopes were also entertained of the general success from 
the future operations of the troops disembarked on the eastern 
coast. This expedition left Sicily 7,000 strong, totally British, 
consisting of a division of the 20th light dragoons, the first bat- 
talions of the 10th, 58th, and 81st regiments, the 4th and 6th bat- 
talions of the King's German Legion, and the regiments of Dillon 
and de Rolle. 

At Minorca they were joined by about 4,000 Spanish troops, 
organized and disciplined in that place, thus forming a conjoint 
force of about 11,000 men, under the command of General Mait- 
land. 

On its arrival on the coast of Spain, the troops were landed 
at Alicant ; and being joined by General Roche's division, and 
the horse of the 2d and 3d army, proceeded from that place in 
the direction of Valencia, on the 15th of August; and, though 
the French had determined to fortify themselves in the points of 
Ibi and Castella, yet no sooner were the troops in motion, thau 



333 



General Harispe disappeared from these points with the utmost 

rapidity. 

In consequence of all these brilliant achievements, the Spanish 
government determined to present the marquis with the order of 
the Toison d'Or, or Golden Fleece, the most ancient and honoura- 
ble order in Europe next to that of the Garter; and the cortes 
decreed that a monument should be erected near Salamanca, in 
commemoration of the victory of the 22d of July. Upon the 
official details of that glorious event being read to them by the 
secretary at war, they unanimously, amidst reiterated exclama- 
tions from the galleries of—" Long live the nation— Long live our 
allies," passed a vote of thanks to the Duke of Ciudad Rodri- 
<ro, and the troops under his command, and appointed a deputa- 
tion to wait upon the honourable Henry Wellesley, his brother, 
and now the British ambassador there, to congratulate him on so 
signal a victory. The deputies were the Marquis Villa Franca, 
and Counts Toreno, Vega, &c The Marquis Villa Franca 
addressed the ambassador in these terms---" The general cortes, 
after hearing with the most extraordinary emotion the relation 
of the victory obtained by the Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo in the 
fields of Salamanca, have resolved, that in its name, and on that 
of his majesty, thanks should be given to that general, the offi- 
cers, and troops under his command ; and likewise that we should, 
without any ceremony, wait upon and compliment your excellen- 
cy on this happy event, both as the representative of the great 
British nation, and as the brother of the great hero who has ob- 
scured the triumphs of the tyrant." 

Mr. Wellesley, in reply, assured them that he was above mea- 
sure gratified by this proceeding of the cortes, and that he 
hoped this great success would be followed by still greater advan- 
tages, and that the result of the whole would be the so much 
wished for entire liberation of the Peninsula. 

About the early part of August the enemy had in a certain 
degree reinforced their troops in F^tremadura, in consequence of 
which General Hill removed to Zafra. 



334 

Ko sooner had Soult heard of the battle of Salamanca, than, 
like a true disciple of Bonaparte, he ordered rejoicings and a 
grand entertainment in honour of Marmont's brilliant victory; 
and at the same time put every animal in the country in requisi- 
tion, and took every possible means of forming depots, and 
also putting his camp in motion avowedly for the purpose of 
destroying General Hill's force. His absolute intentions Avere 
indeed unknown, but he made a slight movement on the left of that 
division of the allied army under Hill, who, in his turn, kept a 
good look out so as to act or move as circumstances might re- 
quire. 

Immediately afterwards the French advanced in force upon 
tfrnachos, when General Hill, in order to counteract them, 
marched his troops so as to occupy the positions of Villa Franca 
and Almandralego ; where, shortly after, the British army re- 
ceived accounts of the victory. The enemy now retired by the 
road to Usagre, and the British proceeded to Los Santos and 
Zafra, as already noticed ; after which General Hill sent a flag 
of trace to General Drouet, with information of Marmont's de- 
feat, and accompanied by twelve French prisoners, who could 
assure him of this great and important event. 

At this period the French, in the southern parts of Andalusia, 
found themselves very unpleasantly circumstanced ; and instead 
of acting offensively against General Ballasteros, found them- 
selves obliged, on the 25th of August, to evacuate all their lines 
of positions from Guadalate, Ronda, and the points of Gahera 
and Teba, blowing up their fortifications, spiking their cannon, 
and destroying their ammunition. 

General Ballasteros immediately pursued them, and on the 
following day his troops occupied the Ronda, and Villa Martiu ; 
and so completely was the face of affairs now altered, that in- 
stead of being kept in check, he prepared, in the event of the 
enemy having left any force still to blockade Cadiz, either to 
march upon them, or, if they had evacuated their lines, to pur- 
sue them in their retreat. He was not in time, however, for 
either plan; for, fearing for his own safety, Soult gave direc- 
5 



335 

tions for the siege of Cadiz to be raised ; and on the 24th and 
morning of the 25th of August, the besiegers abandoned all 
their positions and works opposite to Cadiz and the Isla, ex- 
cept the town of Port St. Mary's, where a body of troops remain- 
ed until the middle of the day, and then withdrew to the Car- 
tuga. 

They left a very numerous. artillery in the several works, and 
a large quantity of stores and powder; and although most of the 
ordnance was rendered unserviceable and useless, yet, from other 
causes, they appeared to have retired with more precipitation 
from their position than could have been expected. Indeed, so 
apprehensive were they of being harassed, that a considerable 
body of cavalry was brought down previous to the commence- 
ment of the retreat. 

The towns of Puerto Real and Chiclana were immediately oc- 
cupied by detachments of Spanish troops, and a party of the 2d 
Hanoverian hussars, together with some light troops, under the 
command of Colonel Lambert. 

At the same time Major General Cooke, commander of the 
British forces in Cadiz, received information that Colonel Sker- 
rett and the Spanish troops under General Cruz had arrived at 
Manzanilla on the 22d, and remained there iu order to arrest the 
attention of Marshal Soult. 

The raising of the siege, as may easily be conceived, pro- 
duced the most lively satisfaction amongst the inhabitants of 
Cadiz. 

In describing the details of this event, it was stated that at 
dawn of day on the 25th commenced the public destruction of 
the enemy's works, redoubts, batteries, powder magazines, &c. 
The obscurity of the preceding night was not sufficient to screen 
his coerced determination, as the people of Cadiz could easily 
hear the explosions of different magazines before the light of day 
enabled them to behold the precipitate retreat of these ferocious 
invaders. The formidable work at La Cabazuela ceased to exist 
at one in the morning, and at ten the Cadiz garrison took pos- 
session of that point, whilst numerous boats from the town crowded 
•ver to that shore so long in possession of the enemy. 



336 

The advance of the troops of the garrison to the front of the 
line, most opportunely added to the embarrassments of the re- 
treating army, and not only precipitated his retreat, but gave 
them an opportunity of destroying those trains which were just 
laid for the destruction of the remaining magazines. The greater 
part of the battering cannon along the line were left untouched, 
or badly spiked. In fact, the enemy had not time even to burn their 
launches, although many of them were sunk; and a. great quan- 
tity of sabres and other arms were found in the salt pits ; the sut- 
tling booths and infirmaries were left on fire. " Such was the 
confused precipitation of Soult !" 

By noon of the 25th the Spaniards occupied the works which 
were erected in Puerto Real and at the Trocadero ; in the castle 
©f Santa Catalina, no mounted cannon remained ; the carriages 
were burned, and the adjoining magazines and salt works de- 
stroyed. Don Marcus Gruceta proceeded to establish provisional 
governments on the evacuated quarters, and Don Francisco 
Maurell took possession of the towns in the vicinity. 

A strong column of French cavalry and infantry retired to 
Xeres ; but on the morning of the 26th proceeded on their 
march to Seville. The night before Soult left Port St. Mary's, 
he levied a contribution of 1 2,000 dollars on that town, and im- 
prisoned some of the inhabitants because they refused to pay their 
proportion ; most of them were, however, liberated on the follow- 
ing morning, on its appearing that they had not the means of ad- 
vancing a dollar. 

It was observed by a spectator that the destruction of the 
various works was fine in the extreme, and uncommonly grand, 
the whole of Cadiz being, as it were, almost surrounded with 
immense fires, affording a full prospect of the batteries as they 
blew up one after another. Fort Catalina, in particular, afforded 
a very fine sight ; but as the enemy had mined the whole of the 
magazines, though only a part of them blew up, the general com- 
manding was obliged to issue an order that no person should go 
near them; yet, in spite of the danger, it was almost impossible 
to restrain the public curiosity. The inhabitants of Cadiz, 



337 

under these happy circumstances, seemed, as it were, to have re- 
newed their existence; and the women, in particular, were in 
ecstacy at the idea of again beholding their relatives and friends 
at Port St. Mary's and other places, and whom they had been 
prevented from visiting ever since the French had first taken 
possession of Andalusia. 

On the very day of the evacuation, an extraordinary sitting 
of the cortes took place, when the minister at war, by order of 
the regency, presented an account of all that occurred in the 
enemy's line, when a general thanksgiving was ordered through- 
out Spain; and on the same day, the Duke del Infantado, then 
at the head of the regency, published the following energetic 
address : 

" Citizens of Cadiz — The regency of the kingdom, which be- 
holds you in these moments penetrated with the most exalted joy 
at the withdrawing of the enemy's troops, which with so much 
audacity presented themselves in the front of your city Avails, in- 
sulting and ridiculing your constancy and patriotism, is equally 
convinced that you are aware of the importance of preventing 
their reoccupation of those positions which they have first been 
obliged to abandon. 

" Ycu have suffered without murmuring, and with a resigna- 
tion worthy of that reward which Providence has this day ex- 
tended to you, in decreeing the end of a siege, which, however, 
could not tire out the constancy or devotion of the besieged. In 
order to secure at once your future tranquillity, and place you 
beyond the reach of any accident which may arise from the un- 
certain fortune of war, the government has determined to pro- 
ceed to the execution of the works projected in the Trocadero, 
and which will be sufficient to secure the people of Cadiz against 
the repetition of such hostile operations in future. With similar 
impressions, continue, citizens of Cadiz, faithful to make, if ne- 
cessary, similar sacrifices for the general advantage of your 
country. The government will have to make known to you such 
necessities, should they exist, and it regards your conduct ; and, 
Anally, the regency felicitates you on the most fortunate event of 
43 



338 

this day ; so fortunate for yourselves, for all commercial men- 
and for the nation in general." 

The siege of Cadiz was at all times an important circumstance 
in the affairs of the Peninsula ; but, as its various details would 
have interfered with the continuity of the former narrative, and 
could only have been presented in a disjointed state, Ave avoided 
entering into particulars, trusting that we should be enabled, by its 
final issue, to avail ourselves of an opportunity of noticing it in a 
more connected manner. We shall, therefore, here briefly state 
some of the leading occurrences. 

The lines of circumvallation, on which the French army had 
been so many years employed, reached from Conil, by Torre- 
Bermesa, Chiclana, Puerto Real, and Puerto de Santa Maria, to 
Rota, an extent in the whole of about eight leagues. 

During the thirty-one months of blockade,which commenced on 
the 5th of February, 1810, the enemy never ceased labouring., 
with the greatest activity, on the construction of an immense 
number of redoubts and batteries, which at least contained about 
500 pieces of cannon of the largest calibre. They had also 
formed in their lines parks of artillery, magazines, and foundries, 
calculated to support and increase the vigour of the enterprise, 
certainly one of the most extensive in its outline recorded in the 
history of modern wars; though still inferior to the immense 
•works of the British army at Torres Vedras ; and to these pro- 
digious means of attack the enemy had added a flotilla consisting oJ 
about thirty gun-boats. 

As the impregnable defences of the Isla de Leon left not the 
most distant hope of successfully attacking Cadiz on that point, 
the French early directed their attention and their labours to that 
quarter of the bay where the small isthmus called the Trocadero 
is situated. It appears that their plan was to multiply their lines 
of fire upon that point in such a way as to silence that of the 
castle of Puntales and of the adjacent batteries ; in consequence 
of success, in which case they expected it would be practicable 
to effect a landing, which might enable them to form a lodgement 
between the grand battery of St. Ferdinand and the land port 



33Sf 

gate, from whence, with mortars only, they would be enabled 
to reduce the city of Cadiz to ashes. This plan, though a bold 
one, and of very difficult execution, because they could not 
flatter themselves with becoming masters of the sea, was generally 
acknowledged, even by their most experienced engineers, to be 
the only one that held out the prospect of a successful result. 
In consequence, on the whole coast of the Trocadero, includiog 
Fort Louis, the enemy had mounted about 200 pieces of artillery, 
many of them mortars of the largest and most augmented calibre, 
which kept up a tremendous, though ineffectual, fire upon Pun- 
tales and the adjacent batteries, which was always returned with 
redoubled vigour. 

The enemy, even from the first, despairing of the effect of all 
these fires upon Cadiz, next applied themselves to the discovery 
of projectiles that might effectually damage the city. All the 
science of the corps of French artillery, and of a Spanish traitor 
called Domingo Vengoa, formerly a colonel of artillery, was 
put in requisition, whose range might reach to the city of 
Cadiz. 

On the 15th of December, 1810, they made their first ex- 
periment with a piece of from eight to nine feet in length, in the 
shape of a cannon, but with the chamber and the capacity of a nine 
inch howitzer. The grenades thrown by this were partly filled 
with lead, and could not burst. Their range was about 6,000 
yards, or three geographical miles, and they fell considerably 
beyond the centre of the city; but without producing any 
other effect than that of a round shot descending from the same 
elevation. 

The enemy, however, were animated to new attempts by the 
result of this experiment, and flattered themselves that, by mul- 
tiplying their trials, they might at length succeed in throwing a 
number of projectiles calculated to annoy the population of Cadiz 
to such a degree as to produce disturbance, and thus hasten and 
insure the surrender of the place from the effects of discontent 
and confusion. 

Time, indeed, has at length demonstrated that these hopes wer<> 



340 

ridiculous; lor the euemy having constructed the two batteries 
of Cabazuelo and Anguloin the most advanced part of the Tro- 
cadero towards Cadiz, placed in them fourteen pieces of the 
new construction; and from the 24th of June, 1812, they 
began throwing projectiles daily, which mostly fell within the 
city, but without producing greater effect than in the first experi- 
ments. 

It appears that the enemy did not increase the number of 
their firings, from a well founded fear that their pieces would 
burst from the shock of an impulse so extraordinarj^, and also 
from their immense consumption of gunpowder, every charge, it 
is said, requiring thirty-six pounds. 

Notwithstanding this, we have seen that the government, with 
the officers of the various public departments, although so far 
within range of the French fire, and exposed to continual 
danger and inconvenience, never abandoned their posts ; indeed, 
it must be acknowledged that they had no other place of refuge, 
unless they had gone to Majorca or Minorca, where their 
means of communication with their allies would have been much 
curtailed. 

After this sort of bombardment for two months, which caused 
very little damage, and to which the population became at last 
habituated, they had the satisfaction of witnessing what the 
Spanish authority, to which we have been much indebted for 
the foregoing statement, calls one of the greatest results of the 
memorable victory of Salamanca, which has immortalized the 
Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo. 

" The whole of the 25th of August," observes this narrator, 
" the enemy were abandoning their lines, having destroyed some 
of their batteries, and rendered useless a part of their artillery. 
On the same day the Spaniards took possession of their lines, 
where there was found an immense quantity of gun carriages, 
carts, balls, bombs, gunpowder, baggage, arms, and stores of pro- 
visions. Of the 500 pieces of artillery, many were found in a 
serviceable state, the enemy not having had time to destroy them, 
from the precipitation with which he retired. All these amount 



341 

in value to many millions," (undoubtedly he means not sterling 
money of Britain, but of the currency of Spain,) « but there 
has not yet been time to take an inventory of them, and we 
have been chiefly employed in destroying the works, and 
in bringing^ the artillery and stores into Cadiz and the Isle of 
Leon. 

" Such has been the issue of the incessant labours of the 
enemy against Cadiz — labours which have been often blazoned 
in the French reports as models of their kind, and, like the 
works of the Romans, as calculated to excite the admiration of 
the world." 

Two thousand men were immediately set to work upon the 
projected cut, which is to convert the Trocadero into an island, 
and to render it, like the other approaches, impregnable. Were 
the enemy, therefore, under any unfortunate change of circum- 
stances, to approach with any possible amount of force, his fire 
could not reach Cadiz, nor even its bay. 

In this manner, therefore, the most important point of Spain will 
remain perfectly secure ; and it will of course be impossible for 
the enemy, even if unexpectedly reinforced, to possess in tran- 
quillity the rest of the province of Andalusia. 

We now return to the operations of the British army at 
Madrid, where the Marquis of Wellington received information, 
on the 18th of August, that Joseph Bonaparte had retired from 
Ocana two days before, and that his army was in full march 
towards Valencia. 

About the same period the French abandoned Toledo, which 
was taken possession of by a party of the guerillas of El Me- 
dico ; and, soon alter the capture of the Retiro, the garrison of 
Guadalaxara, consisting of 700 men, surrendered to the Empeci- 
nado by capitulation, on nearly the snme terms as those granted 
by his lordship to the garrison at Madrid. 

The marquis now received reports from Major General Clin- 
ton, informing him that a part of the remains of the army of Por- 
tugal had moved forward from the neighbourhood of Burgos, and 
that some of their detachments were understood to be in Valla- 



342 

&otid on the 14th, in consequence of General Santocildes having 
withdrawn the troops of the army of Gallicia which had occupied 
that town. 

Some of their detachments were likewise on the right of the 
Pisuerga; but this advance did not take his lordship unawares, 
for he had expected they would make this movement as soon as 
he collected his troops together for the purpose of marching upon 
Madrid. 

The intelligence also which he received from the south was 
to him of great importance ; for from thence he learned that 
Drouet pressed less upon General Hill, having drawn in his right 
from La Guarena, though still occupying Hornachos ; and though 
at that period General Vallete had returned to the blockade of 
Cadiz, yet Ballasteros had not only been so successful as to cap- 
ture three hundred prisoners at Ossuna, but, by the positions of 
his troops, had been enabled to reopen his communication with 
the British garrison in Gibraltar; so that his lordship had every 
prospect of being able to direct the whole of his force against 
the army of the centre and that of Marmont. 

Indeed the Spanish prospects in the south were now improving 
rapidly ia consequence of the exertions of the gallant Colonel Sker- 
rett, the brave defender of Tariffa, and who had been some time 
before despatched with a considerable British and Spanish force 
to Ayamonte in order to harass the right wing of the French 
army under. Soult. 

On the 24th of August, Colonel Skerrett, and General Cruz 
Mourgeon in command of the Spanish troops, judged it advisable 
to make a forward movement on Seville ; but before this could be 
done it was necessary to force the enemy's corps of observation 
of three hundred and fifty cavalry and two hundred infantry at 
San Lucar la Mayor. 

In order to accomplish this design without hazard, but with- 
out any superfluous force, the gallant colonel marched from Man- 
zanilla with eight hundred troops, composed of the 1st regiment 
of guards, the 87th, and the Portuguese regiment commanded 



343 

by Brigadier General Downie, accompanied 'with six hundred 
Spanish troops. 

On arriving at the environs of San Lucar, not a moment was 
lost, but tlie Spanish column attacked on the right, aud the Bri- 
tish and Portuguese on the left, when the French were driven 
through the streets with precipitation, leaving some killed, wound- 
ed, and prisoners ; and the combined troops took post in the 
place without the loss of a man. 

Two days afterwards it was the joint opinion of Colonel Sker- 
rett and the Spanish general, that it would be attended with the 
most beneficial effects, both on the public opinion, and in saving 
the city of Seville from being plundered, if the French could be 
precipitated in their retreat from that place ; the allied troops in 
consequence marched for that purpose, and arrived at the heights 
of Castillegos de la Cuesta, immediately above Seville, on the 
morning of the 27th at six o'clock. 

The Spanish troops formed the advance, and the French ad- 
vance was soon driven in; when the cavalry retired leaving the 
infantry in the plain, -who, thus deserted by their friends, were 
immediately charged by the Spanish cavalry, and a great num- 
ber made prisoners. 

In front there was a redoubt in advance which it was neces- 
sary to cany, being on the left of the assailants, and this redoubt 
the Spaniards attacked, losing a great number of men ; but the 
different allied columns having now advanced into the plain, the 
redoubt was turned, and its communication with the city cut off, 
when it surrendered. 

The Spanish troops under General Cruz now took the right* 
and made a detour to arrive at, and attack on the flank of Triana, 
one of the suburbs of Seville. 

Immediately, with great precision, Colonel Skerrett ordered 
the redoubt to be masked by a detachment of the 20th Portu- 
guese regiment, and at the same time advanced a field piece with 
some troops to keep in check the enemy's fire at one of the gaft* 
opposite to the assailants, 



344 

After giving sufficient time for the Spanish column to arrive at 
its station, the British and Portuguese troops advanced to the 
attack in front: the cavalry and artillery advancing at a gallop, 
supported by the grenadiers of the guards, and the infantry fol- 
lowing. 

The enemy immediately abandoned the gate; and the assail- 
ants entered the suburbs, and advanced near to the bridge of 
Seville with as much rapidity as possible, in hopes of preventing 
its destruction, which would have rendered the success of the 
allied troops extremely difficult, if not doubtful. At this move- 
ment, the advance were checked by the heavy fire of grape shot 
and musketry at the turning of the street ; but the grenadiers of 
the guards, immediately advancing to their support, drove every 
thing before them. 

At this critical moment the Spanish column, which had attack- 
ed in the quarter of Triana, most fortunately arrived, Avhen the 
whole body advanced to the bridge under a very heavy fire- 
Captain Cadoux, of the 95th, with great judgment made a flank 
movement on the allied left ; Captain Roberts with great rapidity 
brought up two guns; a heavy fire of artillery and musketry 
was thus soon brought to bear on the enemy, who were driven 
from their position on the other side of the river, and from the 
bridge, which they had only in part destroyed. 

The grenadiers of the guards, and some Spanish troops, led the 
columns that crossed the bridge. A general rout ensued, and the 
enemy were driven through the streets, which were strewed with 
their dead, and pursued at all points, leaving behind them valua- 
ble captures of horses, baggage, and money. 

Colonel Skerrett, in his despatches after this brilliant achieve- 
ment, declared that it was impossible for him to express the joy 
of the people of Seville at the British victory. Even under the 
fire of the French, they brought planks to lay across the broken 
bridge ; and their acclamations and vociferous marks of joy, 
added to the immense crowd, rendered it very difficult for the 
officers to march through the streets with their columns. 

The vast extent of the city, the exhausted state of the troops 



345 

who bad advanced in double quick time for three miles, and the 
want of cavalry, rendered it impossible to continue the pursuit 
beyond the town— and indeed such was the rapidity of the attack, 
that this victory over an entire French division, and the passage 
of a bridge which the enemy had materially destroyed, with his 
infantry and artillery formed on the banks of the river, was 
achieved with a loss so small as scarcely to be credible. 

In fact the gallant narrator had only to regret the loss of one 
officer, Lieutenant Brett of the royal artillery, who was killed 
gallantly fighting his gun at the bridge : before which, however, 
his intrepidity had been observed by the whole detachment. 

The only officer wounded was Lieutenant Llewelyn of the 95th 
rifle corps ; and these, with one sergeant, one rank and file, and two 
horses killed, together with twelve rank and file and one horse 
wounded, formed the whole of the British loss. 

Yet it was justly said that ia this affair, though not a san~ 
guinary one, the conduct of every officer and soldier Avas above 
all praise ; whilst during the whole of the attack our allies, the 
Spaniards, rivalled the conduct of the British and Portuguese 
troops ; and the modest yet gallant colonel most liberally obser- 
ved, that General Cruz Mourgeon, by his military talents and 
bravery, principally contributed to the successful result of the 
day. 

In this affair the loss of the enemy must have been very great ; 
several officers were taken, and nearly two hundred prisoners in 
all. 

Many guns and military stores were taken : and two of the 
field pieces, which the enemy advanced, fell into the hands of the 
allies. 

On that very night also, a division of seven or eight thousand 
French troops passed by : but they ventured not any movement 
against Seville; and, as Colonel Skerrett observed, the allied 
attack and occupation had thus most opportunely saved the city 
from the devastation and contributions which it must otherwise 
have undergone. 

About the 25th of August information was conveyed to the 
44 



346 

marquis, that Joseph Bonaparte had continued his inarch to-" 
wards Valencia, his rear guard ou the 19th having been as for- 
ward as La Roda ; and at the same time he was put in possession 
of a communication with the Sicilian expedition, having received 
despatches from Lieutenant General Maitland, who had advan- 
ced from Alicant as far as Monforte. At this period, on the 
eastern coast of Spain, General Roche had taken post at Alcoy, 
from whence Suchet had retired to St. Felippe; and it was 
generally believed that he intended to cross the river Xucar : and 
in conjunction with General Roch« 's movements, General O'Don- 
nel on the 17th Avas atYecla in Murcia. 

At this period the conduct of Soult seemed quite undeter- 
mined ; but it was known that he had sent convoys towards Cor- 
dova, Avhilst in the road from Seville towards Grenada he had 
ordered the different flying corps or garrisons to be collected. 

General Duran, it appeared, had entered Logrono, where he 
had destroyed the fortifications, the house wf inquisition, and the 
fort called Balbuina: but the French General Darque, with 
2,500 infantry and 200 horse, having advanced as if with au 
intention of attack, Duran placed himself within half a league 
of the place, in a kind of ambuscade, with 1 ,400 infantry and 
about 100 horse, where he waited their advance ; when the French 
were forced to retire with a very severe loss. 

In the north, the remains of the army of Portugal, joined by 
the forces which had been in the Asturias, attempted to make 
some hostile movements, and on the 18th had detached some 
troops from Valladolid, which drove in Major General Anson's 
piquets at Tudela ; but that officer was still in sufficient force to 
maintain his posts on the left of the Douro. 

Foiled in their attempt to push him further, and fearful for 
their own detachments, the enemy next moved a body of troops 
from the vicinity of Valladolid, consisting of about six thousand 
infantry, and twelve hundred cavalry, under General Foy, who 
felt himself strong enough to venture as far as Toro, from whrnce 
he drew off the garrison. In fact, it appears that Foy's principal 
object in his movement was to collect these scattered garrisons of 



34? 

Tora and Zamora; in addition to which he had hoped to cut off 
the Portuguese militia employed in the blockade of the latter 
place; but being disappointed in this expectation by the good 
conduct of the Portuguese general, he marched from the vicinity 
of Benevente, but not until he had been joined by a body of in- 
famry equal to his own in number, which had likewise marched 
from the Pisuerga, on the Rio Seco; and on the 20th of August, 
the whole were about two leagues distant from Benevente, a 
movement which they were enabled to make unmolested, itt 
consequence of the Gallician troops having all marched towards 
Astorga, with the exception of the Spanish cavalry which still 
remained in Benevente, and saved that place from the intended 
French visit. 

Being forced to leave the garrison of Zamora still blockaded 
by the Portuguese army under the Coode D'Amarante, they, how- 
ever, ventured to proceed towards Astorga in hopes of relieving 
that garrison. 

The enterprising spirit of the guerillas, at this point of time, 
cannot be better delineated than by a dashing exploit of Espos y 
Mina, who states in a letter to General Mendizabel, that the 
French General Abbe, having on the 29th of August marched 
from Pampeluna with 3,000 infantry and 200 horse to collect 
wood, he resolved to fight him, which he actually carried into 
execution ; and, notwithstanding their proximity to Pampeluna, 
obliged them to abandon the wood they had collected, and the 
wagons in which it was to have been conveyed. In fact he pur- 
sued them until within cannon shot of that town, where he formed 
in order of battle for two hours, without the enemy daring to 
molest him. 

His lordship's movements towards the north were much re- 
lieved by intelligence from the southern parts of Spain; for 
though his despatches from Cadiz had informed him of the return 
to that place of the detachment under General Cruz which had 
been sent to the eastward for the relief of General Ballasteros; 
yet they also conveyed him information of another expedition 
having been immediately fitted out, and of the troops being land: 



318 

ed at Huclva as far back as the 15tb, when they had, in fact, 
met with no opposition, the retiring enemy having evacuated 
and destroyed the castle of Niebla on the 12th of the month. 

In the north, General Foy proceeded on his route to Astorga, 
which place had actually surrendered some days before to a small 
Spanish force of on!}- twelve hundred men, although Foy had 
then advanced as far as Baneza for their relief. The victorious 
Spaniards, hoAvever, were too few to encounter such a force, 
amounting to as many thousands as they had hundreds ; they 
accordingly evacuated that place immediately, but not without 
carrying away the whole French garrison as prisoners. 

The marquis now thought it improper to leave such a force 
unbroken ; and, accordingly, having ordered, in the latter end of 
August, that a sufficient number of the allied troops should be 
collected at Arevalo, he quitted Madrid on the 1st of Septem- 
ber, in order to direct their movements. 

At this period the garrison of Madrid consisted of the 5th, 
43d, 45th, 52d, 74th, 83d, 88th, Scotch brigade, Ross, some 
Portuguese, and likewise some Spanish troops; all under the 
command of that excellent officer, Baron Alten : and the general 
recruiting for the Spanish corps of Don Carlos and Don Julian 
went on briskly, these leaders being expected to take at least 
12,000 men from the capital alone; besides which, a militia was 
raised in the city, to consist of horse and foot to a considerable 
amount. 

At this period also a very important event took place, the 
general and extraordinary cortes having made a treaty of friend- 
ship, union, and alliance, between that country and Russia, under 
British mediation ; and in which it is stipulated that the two high 
contracting parties, in consequence of the proposed friendship, 
shall come to an understanding without delay, and agree on every 
thing which may have connexion with their respective interests, 
and with the firm iotention to prosecute a vigorous war against 
the Emperor of the French, their common enemy, and engaging 
from that date to concur sincerely in every thing which may be 
advantageous to the one or the other party. By this state docu- 



349 

iaent, also, the Russian emperor engaged to acknowledge the 
cortes as a legitimate authority, and to guaranty the constitu- 
tion which they had framed and sanctioned ; to which it was 
added, that all commercial relations should be forthwith re-esta- 
blished. 

If there was any thing to counterbalance the tide of success 
at this period in favour of the Spaniards, it was a notification from 
the consul Amatlar at Carthagena, to the British governor of Gib- 
raltar, that about the middle of August he had received infor- 
mation from the board of health that there were some suspicious 
cases of fever in their hospitals, but that the local government 
had taken precautions to guard against the spreading of this hor- 
rible infection, which but a few years before had nearly depopu- 
lated that ill-fated district. 

On the 4th the marquis marched from Arevalo, and passed the 
Douro on the 6th, at the fords of Herrera and El Abrojo ; pre- 
vious to which, General Foy having heard of the surrender of 
Astorga, returned to the Esla, and marched upon Carvajales, 
with a view to surprise and cut off the Portuguese militia already 
stated to have been employed under Lieutenant General the 
Conde d'Amarante in blockading Zamora. This general, how- 
ever, made good his retreat, without loss, to the frontiers of Por- 
tugal; and General Foy could do nothing more than carry off' 
the French garrison, which he did on the 29th of August, think- 
ing their position unsafe, aDd then marched for Tordesillas. The 
good management of the Portuguese general, and the steadiness 
of his troops on this occasion, drew forth great, and, indeed, well- 
merited praise, from the Marquis of Wellington, who observed in 
his public despatches that he could not avoid drawing the atten- 
tion of the British government to the conduct of the Conde 
d'Amarante, and of the militia under his command, in these ope- 
rations, and also pointing out the zeal of ihis militia, principally 
drawn from the provinces of Tralos Montes, in thus voluntarily 
serving beyond the frontiers of the kingdom, a service which ex- 
tended beyond the limits of th< ir agreement. 

The whole remains of the army of Portugal, being now c,ol- 



350 

iected between Valladolid and Tordesillas, the marquis found 
the'*r advanced guard on the sixth of September strongly posted 
on the heights of La Cisterniga ; and at the same time he had 
information that there was a considerable body of troops in and 
about the former place. 

As it was late in the day before the allied troops had crossed 
the Douro, the marquis thought it imprudent to move forward 
before the morning of the 7th ; but the enemy did not choose to 
await his approach, retiring from La Cisterniga during the night, 
and abandoning Valladolid in the morning as soon as they saw 
the British advance, blowing up the bridge on crossing the Pisu- 
erga in order to arrest the pursuit. They were closely follow- 
ed, however, by the honourable Lieutenant Colonel Ponsonby, 
with a detachment of the 12th light dragoons through the town; 
but some time having elasped before the infantry could come up, 
the retiring troops could not be prevented from destroying the 
bridges, by which means their loss was less than might have been 
expected. 

In fact, so great was the terror of the French, that Are under- 
stood that they only fired five guns before they hastily fled u> 
wards Burgos; but it appears that some of our troops reached 
them, especially the cavalry, and caused them a great loss, the 
enemy abandoning their provisions, ammunition, baggage 
wagons, &c. 

This triumphant entry into Valladolid, although it had been 
only a few days under the French yoke, now caused the most in- 
conceivable joy; and it has further been mentioned, that the Mar- 
quis of Wellington, with the most judicious attention to the wants 
of the poor Spaniards, had all the wagons brought into Vallado- 
lid, laden with the plunder of that town and neighbourhood ; and 
permitted the poor injured people, in the most unexpected man- 
ner, to recover their lost property. Such considerate conduct 
must always operate favourably in support of the British cha- 
racter. 

After this they retired along the right bank of the Pisuerga, 
and in the evening had got as far as Duenas. Though the Gallician 
A 



351 

army had retired from Astorga, as already mentioned, on iht 
approach of General Foy ; yet no sooner had he commenced his 
retreat on the Douro, than they again advanced to the Esla? 
indeed the Spanish corps seem now to have gained fresh courage 
On all sides, for it also appears that the French garrison of Cuenca, 
which had evacuated that place on hearing of the surrender of 
the Retiro, being in fact part of Suchet's army, had immediately 
afterwards been taken prisoners by General Villa Campa, to the 
amount of 1 ,000 men, with 2 guns, &c. 

At this period, also, the marquis received intelligence from 
Lieutenant General Sir Rowland Hill, that he had advanced as 
far as Llerena in pursuit of the troops under General Drouet. 

The Marquis of Wellington did not, however, give up the 
pursuit, but continued to follow the enemy with the whole of his 
troops until the 16th of September, when he was joined at Pam- 
pliega by three divisions of infantry, and a small body of caval- 
ry, of the army of Gallicia ; his excellency the Captain General, 
Castanos, having arrived at head-quarters on the 14th. 

On the 16th the retreating enemy had taken a strong position 
on the heights behind Celada del Carmino, when his lordship made 
arrangements for attacking them on the morning of the following 
day ; but they thought proper to retire during the night, and 
were driven to the heights close to Burgos, through which towu 
they retired during the night of the 17th, leaving behind them 
some clothing and other stores, and a large quantity of wheat 
and barley. 

After this they retired to Briviesca, where they were joined 
by about 7,000 conscripts from France, and, as the marquis was 
informed, were there to wait the arrival of Massena, who, as was 
reported, was ordered by the local government of France to pro- 
ceed for the command of the army. 

It was necessary to pass the river of Arlanzon in the vici- 
nity of Burgos; but the castle of that town commands the 
passages of the river, and the roads communicating with them, 
so completely, that the British army could not cross it before 
the 19th, when that operation was effected iu two columns, 



351 

the 5th division and Brigadier General Bradford's brigade above 
the (own, whilst the 1st division, with Brigadier's General 
Pack's brigade, and Major General Anson's Cavalry, passed be- 
low it. 

The city of Burgos, now, as it may be called, the last refuge of 
the French, in that part of Spain, is situated in that division of 
the country allotted to the army of the north; and General Caflfa- 
relli, who had been there on the 17th, had placed in the castle a 
garrison of the troops of that army, consisting, as was reported, ol 
2,500 men. 

The enemy had taken considerable pains not only to fortify this 
castle of Burgos, but had also occupied with a horn work the hill 
of St. Michael's, which has a considerable command over some 
of the works of the castle, at the distance of three hundred 
yards. 

They had likewise occupied other parts of that hill with 
flgches, and other works, for the protection of their piquets and 
outposts. 

As soon as the first division of the allied army crossed the 
river Arlauzon, on the 19th of September, the enemy's outposts 
were driven in by the light infantry battalion of Colonel Ster- 
ling's brigade, under the command of the honourable Major 
Cocks, supported by Brigadier General Pack's brigade: and 
the enemy's outworks on the hill of St. Michael's, with the ex- 
ception of the horn work, were occupied by the allied troops, 
which were posted close to the horn work. 

As soon as it Avas dark, the same troops, with the addition of 
the 42d regiment, attacked and carried by assault the horn work 
which the enemy had occupied in strength. In this operation, 
Brigadier General Pack, Lieutenant Colonel Hill of the 1st Por- 
tuguese regiment, Colonel Campbell of the 16th, Major *Williams 
of the 4th cacadores, Major Dick of the 42d regiment, and the 
honourable Major Cocks, of the 75th regiment, commanding the 
light infantry battalion, distinguished themselves most gallantly. 

The latter, in particular, who led the attack of the enemy's 
post in the morning, also entered the horn work by its gorge at 



353 

night. In this affair the allies captured three pieces of cannon 1 , 
and one captain, with sixty-two others, prisoners; but at the same 
time, owing to the strength of the work, their loss was very 
severe, consisting of Major Pierpoint, assistant quartermaster 
general, and Lieutenants Gregorson and Milne, of the 42d regi- 
ment, killed, with four captains and six lieutenants wounded, 
some of whom died afterwards; the Portuguese loss, of officers, 
one lieutenant, and one ensign killed, besides several wounded. 

The whole number of killed were, British 47, Portuguese 24; 
wounded, British 242, Portuguese 93 ; making a grand total of 
71 killed, 335 wounded, with 16 missing. 

However great this loss, yet the attempt in which it took place 
was absolutely necessary ; for it was impossible to ascertain the 
exact state of the works of the castle of Burgos, until possession 
was obtained of the hill of St. Michael's. 

On the two days immediately following the attack, the allied 
troops were actively employed in establishing themselves on the 
hill of St. Michael's, and in constructing such works as were best 
calculated to forward their future operations. At that period 
the whole of the army had crossed the Arlanzon, with the excep- 
tion of the 6th division, and one division of the Spanish infantry ; 
and the seige of the castle of Burgos was commenced in form.* 

* To understand these operations better, it may be proper to 9tate that Bur- 
gos, -which had long continued to enjoy splendour and pre-eminence, as the ' 
capital of Old Castile, the cradle of the Spanish monarchy, has, for the last two 
centuries, declined from its prosperity, and is now a gloomy,irregular town, con- 
taining only about 8 or 9,000 inhabitants. It is surrounded by walls, and built 
on a declivity forming the right bank of the. river Arlanzon, over which are 
thrown three stone bridges connecting the town with the pleasant suburb of 
La Beza. 

On the brow of the adjacent hill stands an ancient castle, which has been re- 
paired and strengthened with works by the French ; and beyond this is an- 
other small hill called St. Michael's, wherein a horn work had been erected, 
■which we have detailed as taken by storm. The castle itself is a lofty square 
building of solid masonry, aud commands the hill of St Michael's, which ia 
its turn overlooks the outer defences of the former. Adjoining to the castle 
is a church, which the French have converted into a fort, and both these are 
Included within the distinct lines of circumvallatiop, the whole foriaing a for*- 
45. 



35-4 

About tliis time also the marquis received intelligence from Sir 
Rowland Hill of bis being at Truxillo on the 14th, and that he 
was then about putting into execution his orders to be at Oropesa, 
four days afterwards ; also, with respect to the French army in 
the south, that Marshal Soult had not left Granada as far down 
as the 8th, at which time General Ballasteros had followed the 
enemy's movements from the Guadalate, and had been very suc- 
cessful, having advanced as far as Loxa on the 6th : the enemy 
haviDg then abandoned Andujar and Jaen; whilst the armies of 
Joseph Bonaparte, and of Suchet, were still in Valencia. 

Though the city of Burgos itself was in possession of the allied 
forces, yet the head-quarters were at Villa Toro, in its vicinity ? 
and the operations were still carried on against the castle. On 
the night of the 22d, the Marquis of Wellington directed an 
attempt to be made to take by storm the exterior line of the ene- 
my's works* one of the batteries destined to protect the allied 
position, when in them, having been in such a state of preparation 
as to give hopes that it would be ready to open on the morning 
of the 23d. 

The attack was to have been made by detachments of Portu- 
guese troops belonging to the 6th division, which occupied the 
town of Burgos, and invested the castle on the southwest side* 
on the enemy's left, whilst a detachment of the 1st division, un- 
der Major Lawrie of the 79th regiment, should scale the wall ifl 
front. 

Unfortunately, the Portuguese troops were so strongly opposed, 
that they could not make auy progress on the enemy's flank, aud 
the escalade could not take place. r In consequence of this the 
British loss was severe; Major LaAvrie was killed, and Captain 

tress of ah oblong figure. All these three lines must be successively carried 
before the castle can be taken. The commander of the fortress is a general 
who ha3 long acted under Caffarelli ; and its importance may be judged of 
from the fact that whilst it is occupied by the French, their army may remain 
in perfect safety at Briviesca, a walled city only six leagues distant, and sepa- 
rated from the plain of Burgos by a lofty mountain ; at the next stage beyond 
which, on the road towards France, is the tremendous pass of Pancorbo, whiet» 
secures the approach to the Ebpo. 



355 

Fraser, who commanded a detachment from the brigade of guards, 
was wounded. Both these officers, and indeed all those em- 
ployed on this occasion, exerted themselves to the utmost; but 
the attack on the enemy's flank having failed, the success of the 
escalade was impracticable. 

On the 27th the allied batteries were completed, and ready to 
open on the enemy's interior lines, as soon as the besieging troops 
could be established Avithin the exterior works; and the enemy's 
army of observation at the same period was about Pancorbo, and 
Miranda, on the Ebro, with their advanced posts at Briviesca; 
but they had hitherto made no movements to impede the opera- 
tions of the assailants. 

In the south, Marshal Souit now found himself obliged to evacu- 
ate Granada on the 15th of September, and to march towards 
the kingdom of Valencia in order to form a junction with the 
armies of Suchet and of the intrusive king; and General Ballas- 
teros immediately afterwards entered that ancient and interesting 
city. 

This general, on the 3d of September, near Antiquera, defeated 
the enemy's corps, consisting of 8,000 infantry, 2,000 cavalry, 
and 6 pieces of cannon, commanded by Generals Villat and 
Semelet, who covered Soult's rear; he dislodged this force com- 
pletely from its position, pursued it more than a league and a 
half, and obliged it to leave behind some prisoners, and two of 
their pieces of artillery; after which he took possession of 
Antiquera, which they could no longer defend. 

Two days afterwards a part of his advanced guard surprised 
in Loxa a part of Soulfs troops, and made more than 200 
prisoners. 

About the same period, also, General Elio, in command of the 
troops lately under the direction of General O'Donnel, took 
Consuegra by capitulatiou. 

On the failure of the proposed assault on the exterior lines ot 
Burgos, it was found necessary to proceed by sap; and accord- 
ingly several mines were prepared, one of which being exploded 



356 

at midnight of the 29th, a breach was effected in the outer wall, 
which some of the party, destined to attack it, were enabled to 
storm ; but, owing to the darkness of the night, the detachment 
who were to support the advanced party missed their way, and 
the advance were driven off the breach before they could be 
effectually supported. 

The breach, as effected by this mine, was not of a description 
to be stormed, except at the moment of the explosion, and it was 
necessary to improve it by fire, before the attempt could be re- 
peated. But all endeavours on the part of the assailants, to con- 
struct batteries in the best situation to fire upon the wall, failed 
in consequence of the great superiority of the enemy's fire from 
the nature of their situation. 

In the mean time another mine had been placed under the 
wall, which was ready on the morning of the 4th of October, 
and a fire Avas opened the same morning from a battery con- 
structed under cover of the horn work. 

The cannonade from this battery improved the breach first 
made ; and the explosion of the second mine, at five o'clock of 
the same evening, effected a second breach ; on which both were 
immediately stormed by the 2d battalion of the 24th regiment, 
under the command of Captain Hedderwick, which had been or-' 
dered into the trenches for that purpose ; and the allied troops 
%ere established within the exterior line of the works of the castle 
of Burgos. 

The conduct of the 24th regiment was highly praiseworthy ; 
and Captain Hedderwick, and Lieutenants Holmes and Fraser, 
who led the two storming parties, particularly distinguished 
themselves ; and it is pleasing to reflect that this operation was 
effected without suffering any very severe loss. 

Up to this period of the siege, the enemy's army still con- 
tinued in observation upon the Ebro, and did not make any at- 
tempt to disturb the operations, though they had extended 
their left as far as Logrono, but with what intention did not 
appear. 



337 

Ib thus bringing down the biography of our gallant country- 
man to the siege of Burgos, after contemplating the important 
consequences of the battle of Salamanca, the occupation of Ma- 
drid, &c. we have closed at a memorable era of his life. 

"Waiving all further observations, therefore, on these recent 
events, we shall take a slight view of the more prominent parts 
of the character of the noble subject of our biography, as illus- 
trative of, and deducible from, the preceding pages. 

Of the gallant Wellington it has been well observed, that it is 
impossible fully to estimate the vast talents, the unwearied ex- 
ertions, and the great resources of this unrivalled soldier, 
whose variety of genius is only equalled by his deep and excellent 
judgment. 

We have seen a recent anecdote, which states that at one period 
of the late battle of Salamanca, a column of the British was 
exceedingly pressed by the overbearing and superior strength of 
a part of the enemy's line opposed to it ; it gave way, and ano- 
ther column was advancing to support it, when Lord Wellington 
came up at the moment, and ordered the advancing column to 
disperse by files, to hasten round the hill immediately in their 
rear, and to form behind it. The general of brigade was 
astonished at the precipitate retreat of his advancing column, 
and called a rally, when his men said, " there is Lord Wellington, 
Sir; we are obeying him." 

The French, supposing a general rout had taken place, pur- 
sued the retiring column, and became disordered as they quickly 
advanced. Lord Wellington then told the general of brigade he 
would find his column formed on the other side of the hill, and 
so he did; when the enemy, as they rounded the slope, were met 
by the supposed fugitives, who advanced in their turn, and made 
a terrible slaughter. 

Previous to the late distinguished events, which have certainly 
raised his character as high as his most sanguine friends could 
•have wished, it was well observed of him, that in all his former 
actions there were two or three principal characteristic traits ; an 
indefatigable activity, a sagacity which sees and determines in the 



358 

moment, and a promptitude which instantaneously acts; an in- 
difference to the mere circumstance of numerical equality, and 
an incomparable readiness in disencumbering himself of what- 
ever is superfluous ; and an equal readiness in determining what 
is superfluous, and the exact point of time when it becomes so. 
Combined with these traits, it is worthy of notice that Lord Wel- 
lington is stated, by those who have the best opportunities of 
knowing it, to enjoy an admirable self-possession and command 
of animal spirits and temper under any state of circumstances, 
never losing himself in the moment of victory, coolly weighing 
the passing events where he finds himself checked, and thus 
proviug that he would not lose himself even in defeat ! 

In contemplating the character of a great man, it is natural to 
compare him with others who have excelled in like circum- 
stances ; and thus it has been said, that, like the Duke of Marl- 
borough, he possesses a degree of civil talent, which, of itself, 
would have raised him into consideration, and which, when 
united to his military ability, renders the latter doubly effectual. 
In consequence of this, so well known to ministers at home, the 
marquis has long possessed fuller powers than it is generally con- 
sidered expedient to grant to any military or naval commander. 
So many specimens, indeed, has he given of his diplomatic skill, 
that government feel satisfied they may safely repose in his 
hands, not only the various points of national honour, but even 
the minuter and more formal decorums of national intercourse, 
whilst his long practice and accurate observation having placed 
him on a footing with any diplomatist of his time in the know- 
ledge of all necessary forms, and rendered him as expert in the 
letter as in the spirit of diplomatic negotiation. 

That Lord Wellington sees every thing himself, and that he 
may be said to live with his soldiers, is another important trait 
in his character. He never orders his army to move without 
seeing that the troops are well provided with one or two days' 
sustenance ; he always puts them in motion at an early hour, in 
order that they may arrive at their ground for the night in good 
Hme ; and he never halts them without taking care that every 
4 



339 

comfort and facility possible may be afforded to the troops for the 
preparation of their repast. 

To their comfort in cantonments he is equally attentive, and 
also to the hospitals. Latteriy, we understand, the medical 
department of his army has been ably filled, and faithfully at- 
tended to, in all its departments; but we have heard that, in au 
early part of the war, his lordship's regulations were deemed so 
oppressive by the then medical people, that, in a body, they sent 
in their resignations. To this he is said merely to have an- 
swered — " Gentlemen, I accept your resignations, and shall im- 
mediately write home for a fresh medical staff: but, mark me! 
until they come out, you shall remain here, and you shall perform 
your duty" 

Secret to an extreme in his plans, yet Lord Wellington has 
that fraukness of communication at his table, that he has been 
accused of not preserving the proper concealment of his own 
intentions: this is too absurd, however, even to require refutation. 
But on service he is so precise in his manners, so formal, as we 
understand, even to his own brother-in-law, that implicit obedience 
is the certain result. Indeed, he trusts so much to his own 
powers, that he asks the opinion of no man. Even his staff are 
always ignorant of his intentions. At head- quarters all is con- 
jecture ; he thinks, acts, and succeeds ; and so well is he under- 
stood and seconded, that scarcely is his plan formed, before it is 
executed. So guarded, in fact, is his secrecy, that, we under- 
stand, he once humorously said, " If I thought the hair of my 
head knew my plans I would wear a wig." 

To undertake all this, much activity of body as well as of 
mind is absolutely necessary ; nor do we think it beneath the 
-dignity of history to record, that at present his lordship is much 
thinner from the fatigue he undergoes, but is nevertheless in ex ] 
cellent health ; and, we are told, that even to support this he 
lives but moderately, drinking only a few glasses of wine after 
dinner, conversing Avith great frankness, and seemingly uncon- 
scious of his own greatness. In no instance whatever does he 
claim to himself any superior comforts, but simply sleeps on a 



360 

Jeatheru mattress, two feet wide, when lie can procure shelter : 
at others lying on the bare ground, surrounded by his gallant 
officers and faithful soldiery. 

With habits of this kind, we may naturally suppose that, to 
him, wealth is an object but of minor consideration. In fact, 
his brother, Mr. Wellesley Pole, distinctly stated some time ago, 
in the house of commons, that his whole property did not exceed 
40,0001. ; of which 5,0001. was given to him by the East India 
Company, for his active services as a commissioner for settling 
the affairs of the Mysore; 5,0001. the amount of his Seringapa- 
tam prize money; and 25,0001. the reward of the Mahratta war. 
In short, as we understand from the statement of a friend of his 
lordship's, so far from deriving any profit from his command and 
appointments, it is a fact perfectly well known, that all the emo- 
luments of these situations were carried by him to the credit of 
government, and actually paid by him into the company's trea- 
sury. Neither for this voluntary sacrifice, nor for his services 
in India, has he received any reward from the East India Coin- 
pany, excepting the 5,0001. already mentioned. In reality, 
therefore, Lord Wellington, considering his rank and family, is 
a very poor man. Of his personal fortune one half is settled on 
his wife; he has in addition a regiment, and a pension of two 
thousand a year; in Ireland, or in Portugal, he has never made 
one farthing; and in Spain, notwithstanding the smallness of his 
fortune, he, in 1809, actually declined the pay of a captain 
general, although it would have amounted to 3,0001. a year, 
and was frequently pressed upon him by the Spanish govern- 
ment. 

To inherit his titles, and to share his fortune, he has already 
two sons; the eldest, Charles, born the 3d of February, 1807, 
and another born the 16th of January, 1808 ; but it is to be 
Loped, that this modern Marlborough, this military Nelson, will 
yet be long preserved to his grateful country, to his admiring 
friends, and to his faithful consort; and that a noble and a nu* 
merous race will hand down his gallant name to latest pos- 
terity x 



361 

Before we close, it may be proper to say a word of the Spa- 
nish character, which may now be fairly considered as beginning 
to exp%nd itself. 

Tne enthusiasm of the Spaniards in favour of our gallant 
countrymen may be drawn from the fact, that upon a recent oc- 
casion, when Lord Wellington paid a visit to Ciudad Rodrigo, 
he was received about a mile from the town, by a piquet of chil- 
dren, from eight to nine years of age, who were armed with 
small muskets and side arms ; and, on entering upon the bridge, 
he was received in a similar manner, with the addition of an 
infant band of music ; with which his lordship was so much 
delighted, that he dismounted, and marched at the head of his 
juvenile band of honour into the town, amid the acclamations of 
the populace. 

On arriving at' the principal square, a Spanish lady presented 
his lordship with a nosegay, beautifully embroidered and sur- 
rounded by a border, on which were these words : — " To the 
ever victorious and immortal Wellington, Duke of Ciudad Ro- 
drigo : this is offered by a Spanish lady, grateful for the taking 
of the two bulwarks of Castile and Estremadura." 

As every anecdote of one so revered and honoured, particu- 
larly when characteristic of men and of the times, must be in- 
teresting, we cannot pass over a recent delineation of the cir- 
cumstances attending the entrance into Madrid ; fully conceiv- 
ing, as already has been observed, that they will be perused with 
interest, notwithstanding the length of time which has elasped 
since their occurrence. 

" From the neighbourhood of the palace of Escurial I reach- 
ed the avenues of this magnificent city, on the 12th, at a little 
before twelve o'clock at noon. For the last league I was re- 
ceived by the people with loud acclamations ; and on reaching 
the arch leading to the end of the city, in which the royal palace 
is situated, I found a lane formed by two Spanish regiments of 
horse, and a brigade of our heavy cavalry. 

" Lord Wellington soon arrived, and I followed close upon 
his staff, which was not numerous ; and thus, at a few paces 
43 



362 

from him, witnessed his reception. He was dressed in a plain 
blue great coat, with his general's hat bound Avith white ostrich 
feathers. He looked remarkably well; but from the ptainness 
of his dress, aod the smallness of his retiuue, he was not irhmc- 
diately recognised. Still the party was English; and from the 
crowd in the streets we passed, as well as from the balconies and 
windows of well tlressed people, the loud vivas aud acclamations 
caused a seusatiou of pleasure ouly equalled by their own feel- 
ings upon the occasion. But when, by myself aud others in the 
suite, it was explained that the Spaniards now beheld the Duke of 
Ciudad Rodrigo, the sensation was indescribable ;— handker- 
chiefs waving from above—hats thrown in the air—every one 
pressing forward to mark well the geueral in chief, amidst a noise 
that drowned those exclamations of satisfaction and delight that 
every mouth uttered;— men, women, and children, embracing us 
with marks almost of adoration, welcomed us to their city with 
expressions of the most heart-felt satisfaction. 

' ; The earl with delight turned to the animated groupes, and, 
repeatedly taking off bis hat, seemed to thank them for that en- 
thusiastic display of their patriotism. This all passed in a city 
most strikingly beautiful ; the houses of which, mostly white, 
are well and regularly built, and on this occasion were orna- 
mented, even to the upper stories, with silk and muslin draperies 
of the gayest colours, and of the richest and most costly materials, 
suspended from the windows; the balconies being festooned with 
the same materials in the most fanciful manner, occasionally dis- 
playing rich" tapestry, and the whole filled with the animated 
figures of the delighted inhabitants, in whose countenances joy 
manifested itself in a thousand forms. Nor must I omit that the 
elegant costume of the Spanish women, as well as their beauty, 
added to the effect of the whole. 

" Lord Wellington entered the town-house, or rather that of 
the municipality, and I proceeded through the city to a coffee- 
house, to procure refreshment. I passed the greater part of the 
day in my observations as to the reality of the satisfaction so 
<■ I'ispicuousin the appearance of the people, and I feel confident 



363 

that it is general and unfeigned. The city was illuminated bet 
night, and will be so for the two ensuing. The concourse of 
people in the streets on this occasion is immense, and the scene 
is brilliant and lively beyond description. We are received 
wherever we go with acclamations, and invitatious are pressed 
upon us from all quarters; in short, we seem to be admitted into 
the bosom of this people." 

We shall now close with a recent statement of the whole hostile 
and allied force in the Peninsula, which has been lately published' 
and which, we believe, may be considered as very correct. 

The existing condition of the concerns of Spain, occasioned by 
the valour of the allied armies, and the unparalleled skill and 
activity of their commander, certainly promises the fairest issue 
to the contest there. Success itself is a most operative cause in 
the production of success ; and when affairs have once proceeded 
in a certain train for some time, they will have acquired an incli- 
nation to continue in that course — a degree of velocity beyond 
that imparted to them by the hand of their director — which it is 
difficult to stop. Yet, must we not believe, even with all these 
favouring circumstances, that we are beyond the reach or possi- 
bility of sustaining a check in the Peninsula— that we have so 
beaten down opposition that it can uevcr again lift the head against 
us. In truth, such are the comparative numbers of the contend- 
ing armies in Spain, that if we had never yet met the enemy, and 
had never given them a proof of our mettle, they might reason- 
ably enough, looking only to their own forces, have supposed 
themselves able to drive us from the field ; and we verily believe, 
that Lord Wellington and his army are the only general and 
troops in Europe, against whom Soult would not march with the 
utmost confidence of success, instead of circuitously stulkinjr, 
-' like a guilty thief," through the kingdoms of Granada, Murcia, 
and Valencia. 

From the Peninsula a variety of papers have been received, 
which enable us to throw some light upon the actual state of th* 
allied and of the enemy's forces in that quarter. 



S64 

1. THE BRITISH. 

Rank and file effective, 
British, under Lord Wellington and Gen. Hill, 40,000 
under General Maitland, - - 6,000 
Garrisons of Cadiz and Carthagena, - 6,000 

Total effective British, - 
Portuguse total effectives, 



Total disposable British and Portuguese, - 76,000 

2. SPANISH ARMIES. 

The 1st army is stationed in Catalonia, under the general com- 
mand of General Lacy. This army amounts to 1 7,000 men ; of 
which number 6,000 are in the garrisons of Montserrat, Vich, 
Manresa, Cardona, and at some other parts of less importance. 
The disposable army, amounting to 11,000 men, is thus distri- 
buted : — 

Under Lacy's immediate command, - 3,000 

Eroles, - - - - 3,000 

Sarfseld, 3,000 

Rovira, the conqueror of Figueras, - 2,000 



11,000 
The 2d army is that of Valencia ; the 3d army is the army 
of Murcia. Both of these were under the command of O'Don- 
nel, who was lately defeated by General Harispe, at Castella. 
They are now under the orders of Elio, the late Viceroy at Monte 
Video, including Roche's division. These two armies amount 
to 18,000 men; of which number 11,000 are disposable aad 
effective. 

The 4th army is that of Andalusia, and is commanded by 

Ballasteros. It amounts to 23,000 men, of which Ballasteros 

has 9,000 ; there are 14,000 men at the Isla de Leon, at Tariffa, 

and at Seville. 

The 5th army is in Estremadura, and is commanded by Won- 



565 

salud, an old Spanish officer, and captain general of the province* 
Under him are Murillo, the Conde de Penne Villemur, and 
Downe ; and the total force, including the garrison of Badajoz, 
where the head-quarters are, and where General Monsalud is 
stationed, is 7.000 men. 

The 6th army is that of Gallicia, and amounts to 12,000 
effectives. This includes the force under Porlier and Santo- 
cildes, and is under the general direction of General Castanos. 
There is also the corps under the command of Don Carlos 
D'Espana, which cannot certainly exceed 4,000 men. 

The 7th army is that of Asturias, and is commanded by Men- 
dizabel, having under him Renovales. This force does not, it is 
believed, exceed 3,000 effectives. 



1st army, 
2d and 3d, 
4th army, 
5 th army, 
6th army, 
7th army, 
Corps under ) 
Espana, } ' 



Catalonia - - - Lacy, commander, 
Murcia and Valencia, Elio, 



ABSTRACT, INCLUDING GARRISONS. 
1 7,000 

18,000 

23,000 Andalusia, - - - Ballasteros, 

7,000 Estremadura, - - Monsalud, 

12,000 Gallicia, - - - Castanos, 

3,000 Asturias, .... Mendizabel, 



Total 84,000 

To this let us add the guerilla parties. 
Mina, - - - 3,000 

Duran, - - - 2,500 

Montijo, (a grandee,) - 2,500 

Villacampa, - - 3,000 

The Empecinado, - 1,000 

Martinez, - - 1,500 

Bassecourt, - - 2,000 

Don Julian Sanchez, - 1,500 



Total 17,000 > 
The detached parties, 5,000 $ 



in Navarre. 
Arragon. 
Valencia. 
Arragon. 
Guadalaxara 
La Mancha. 
Cuenca. 



22,000 



366 

Brought over, - - 22,000 
Add regular troops, - - - 84,000 



Total Spanish regulars and irregulars, 106,000 
Add the British and Portuguese, - 76,000 



Total allied armies, - - - 182,000 
The composition of this large force is understood not to be 
equal to its amount; and the British and Portuguese are alone, 
perhaps, to be yet depended upon in action with the French. 
At the same time, many of the Spanish corps, both regular and 
irregular, have displayed great bravery against the French, aud 
must every day improve. 

3. THE FRENCH. 

Effective. 
1st. The army of Soult, - - - 45,000 
2d. The army of Suchet, amounts to 26,000 

Suchet has under his command the provinces of Valencia, 
Upper and Lower Arragon, and New Arragon; which latter 
province contains that part of the province of Catalonia to the 
westward of Balaguer, Cervera, and Villa Franca; and includes 
the cities of Tarragona and Tortosa, which isSuchet's principal 
depot, and is strongly fortified. The remainder of the province, 
of Catalonia is annexed to France, and is under the orders of 
General Decaen, who lately was governor general of the Mau- 
ritius. 

Suchet's corps is thus divided : 

In Valencia, ------- 9,000 

Upper Arragon, 6,000 

Lower Arragon, 5,000 

New Arragon, 6,000 



Total 26,000 
Of this force 10,000 men are stationed in the different garrisons 
(if Tarragona, Tortosa, and Meqninenza, in New Arragon: those 
«f Saragossa, Iluesca, Balbastro, Benavane, Monson, Benaschi, 

5 



367 

Jaca, and the Ciaco Villas, in Upper Arragon, (the garrison of 
Valencia, 400 men only,) and the garrisons of Calatayud, Daroca, 
Alcaniz, Caspe, Morella, and Teruel, in Lower Arragon. The 
French in the towns of Saragossa, and of Valencia, have de- 
molished the works of the towns, and confine themselves to the 
citadels, which they have strengthened by ditches and other 
works; and which they are thus enabled to maintain with a 
small force. The disposable force under Suchet is therefore 
16,000 men. 

3d. The army of Catalonia, under General Decaen, amounts 
to 20,000 men ; of which 13,000 are in the garrisons of Figueras, 
Bascara, Olot, Rosas, Gerona, Labisbal, Palamos, Hostalrich, 
and Barcelona. But from these garrisons Decaen can, and does, 
when necessary, withdraw 4,000 men, so that his disposable force 
maybe 11,000 men. 

4th. The army in Navarre, which is a separate command, 
amounts to 9,000 men, of which 3,000 are in the garrison of 
Pampeluua, and other posts. 

5th. The army of the north, under Caffarelli, amounts to 9,000 
men," of which 7,000 are effectives. 

6th. The remains of Marmont's army amount to 30,000, of 
which 25,000 are disposable, and the remainder form the garrisons 
of Burgos, Pancorbo, Vittoria, and other posts. 

7th. The array under Joseph, lately called that of the 
« Centre," is certainly 10,000 men, and is commanded by Mar- 
shal Jourdan. 

ABSTRACT. 

• i South of Spain, at > 45 000 

feouit, - - - £ Grenada at present, $ 

Suchet, - - ■ Valencia, 26,000 

Decaen, - - - Catalonia, 20,000 

Navarre, - - Pampeluna, - - - - 9,000 

Caffarelli, - - Army of the north, - - 9,000 

109,000 



363 

Brought over, ... - 109,000 

Marraont, - - Burgos, 30,000 

Joseph, - - - Valencia, 10,000 



Total 149,000 
Of which there are in garrisons 32,000 



Total 117,000 
So that the French disposable force may certainly be estimated 
at 100,000 men: this, however, under the present circumstances 
of Europe, it is to be hoped is not so preponderant a force as to 
paralyze the allied exertions; so that we may rationally look 
for further opportunities of recording future victories, and 
of hailing an established era in the Independence of the 
Peninsula ! 



369 



SECTION XI. 



Remarks of the American biographer — Sequel of the attack upon the castle 
of Burgos — French army under Marshal Soult forces the allies to raise the 
siege and retreat — Soult follows and attacks the allies, but is repulsed-— 
Frequent attacks in the course of Lord Wellington's retreat, with various 
success — Sir Rowland Hill abandons Madrid — Sir E. Paget taken by the 
French — Great skill of Lord Wellington in conducting his retreat before 
the superior army of Marshal Soult — Atrocities of the allied army in their 
conduct to the Spanish inhabitants — Lord Wellington's reprimand to the 
army for their shameful want of discipline, and their enormous licentious- 
ness — Lord Wellington's reception at Cadiz — He is appointed to the 
command of the Spanish armies — Commencement of the campaign of 
1815 — The French retire before Lord Wellington. Various successes of 
the allies — Battle of Vittoria — General Murray obliged to raise the siege 
of Tarragona — General Clausel retreats into France — Sir Rowland Hill 
forms the siege of Pamplona — San Sebastian blockaded — Sir Thomas 
Graham intrusted with the siege — Sanguinary assault upon San Sebas- 
tian, in which the allies are repulsed with great slaughter — Efforts of the 
French emperor to oppose Lord Wellington — Marshal Soult again takes 
the command against the allied Spanish, Portuguese and English armies — 
Situation of the armies — Soult attacks the allies — Critical situation of Lord 
Wellington — French defeated — English oppositionists. 



IN continuing the military life of the Marquis of Wellington 
from the period at which his English biographer breaks off, I 
shall be guided principally by the official despatches of his 
lordship and the generals under his command. 

It falls to my lot to begin my narrative at a period when victory, 
for the first time, appeared to have deserted the standard of the 
hero. But a great general is never greater than in the hour of 
ill success. The talents of the Marquis of Wellington have been 
found equal to every trial. 

The reader has seen that the English had established them- 
selves, after severe and sanguinary conflicts, within the exterior 

17 



370 

lines of the castle of Burgos. , On the 11th of October the 'de- 
fendants made two sorties, materially injured the English works, 
killing and wounding many of their troops. On the 18th the 
assailants having completed a mine under the church of St. 
Roman, which stood in an outwork of the second line, the mar- 
quis determined that the breach which had been previously mads 
in the second line should be stormed that evening at the moment 
of exploding the mine under the church ; and that the line should 
be attacked by escalade at the same time. 

The mine succeeded, and a party of the 9th cacadores and 
Spaniards of the regiment of Asturias were lodged in the out- 
work. A detachment of the German Legion, under Colonel 
Wurmb, carried the breach, and a detachment of English es- 
caladed the line; but the French attacked the assailants so 
furiously, that before they could be supported, they were driven 
back, with the loss of many men and Colonel Wurmb killed. 

As the English remained in possession of the ruins of the. 
church of St. Roman, they commenced another mine under the 
second line. In the mean time the French army had been rein- 
forced both from Portugal and France, and the marquis had in- 
timation that they would endeavour to raise the siege. The En- 
glish outposts were repeatedly attacked, and on the 18th a piquet 
was surprised in the village of St. Olalla, and the French gaining 
possession of the heights which command the town of Monasterio, 
the English outpost was obliged to retire. This movement on 
the part of the French indicating a serious intention of raising 
the siege, the marquis, after leaving the necessary troops for car- 
rying on the attacks upon the castle, assembled his troops, and 
placed them on the heights, having their right at Ibeas, on the 
Arlanzon, the centre at Rio Vena and Magaradas, and the left at 
Solo Palacio. The French army were assembled in the neigh- 
bourhood of Monasterio, and on the evening of the 20th moved 
forward about 10,000 men to drive in the outposts of the allies at 
Q,uintana Palla and Olmos. The post of Q,uintana Palla was 
abandoned by order of the marquis, but at Olmos the attack of 
the French was repulsed. At this moment the marquis saw an 



3H 

opportunity of striking his enemy, and ordered Sir E. Paget to 
move with the 1st and 5th divisions upon the right flank of the 
French. This blow took effect, the French were driven back 
upon Monasterio, and the outposts replaced in Q,uiotaua Palla. 

On the night of the 20th Lord Wellington raised the siege of 
Burgos, and moved the whole army back towards the Douro. 
To this measure his lordship was induced, not only by the pres- 
sure of an enemy much superior in numbers upon his army, but 
by the situation of Sir Rowland Hill, who was obliged to aban- 
don his position on the Tagus, and with whom it became neces- 
sary to form a junction. 

The French commander seems not to have been aware of Lord 
Wellington's intention of retreating, or even of the retreat after 
5t had commenced, for he did not follow till late on the 22d. On 
the 23d, the army of the allies crossed the Pisuerga, the right 
at Torquemada, the left at Cordevilla. The French army fol- 
lowed and pressed upon the rear, gaining some advantages over 
the English rear guard. On the 24th the marquis continued his 
retreat unmolested, and placed his army on the Carrion. On 
the 25th his antagonist again attacked him, but was repulsed. 
So rapid was the advance of the pursuers, that their adversaries 
could not destroy the bridges of the Carrion, and the French passed 
at Placentia. This obliged the marquis to change his front, that he 
might maintain his position. The bridge of Villa Muriel was 
destroyed by the allies, but the French discovered a ford by 
which another portion of their army passed ; they were, how- 
ever, attacked by the allies and driven back, though not without 
loss to the retreating army. On the 26th the marquis broke up 
from his position on the Carrion, and marched upon Cabezon del 
Campo; his adversary immediately followed and formed his 
army on the heights near Cijales on the 27th, opposite to the 
position of the allies on the left of the Pieuerga. On this day 
the marquis had an opportunity of seeing the whole army of 
the French, as they took up their position opposite to him, and 
witnessed their great superiority in numbers. 

On the 28th Marshal Soult extended his right, and endca- 



372 

voured to force the bridges of Simancas and Valladolid. The 
first was defended by Colonel Halkett with his brigade, and the 
last by Lord Dalhousie, with the remainder of the 7th division. 
Colonel Halkett could not withstand the attack of the French, 
and blew up the bridge, and the marquis immediately broke up 
from the Pisuerga, and on the 29th crossed the Douro by the 
bridges of Puente Douro and Tudela. 

The French had pushed a detachment for Tordesillas on the 
28th, and their opponents having destroyed the bridges at that 
place, were ordered by the marquis to take post on its ruins to 
prevent the French from repairing it. On the night of the 29lh 
the marquis, on arriving at the post, found that his troops had 
been driven from the bridge, and that the French had nearly 
repaired it, he lost no time in immediately marching his army 
to the heights between Dueda and Tordesillas, immediately op- 
posite the French position, and near the bridge of Tordesillas. 
This position the marquis held until the 6th of November. 

In the mean time the allied army under Sir Rowland Hill 
had abandoned Madrid, after destroying La China, in the Retiro, 
and all the guns, stores, Sec. and the French re-entered the capital 
on the first of November. On the 4th of November the army 
of General Hill arrived on the Adaja. 

On the 6th of November the marquis finding that the French 
had repaired the bridge at Toro, ordered Sir Rowland Hill to 
continue his march by Fontiveros upon Alba de Tormes, and 
broke up from the position in front of Tordesillas. On the 9th 
the French attacked Sir Rowland Hill at Alba^ but made no 
impression, and drew off at night. Lord Wellington continued 
his march by St. Christoval and through Salamanca, The 
French on the 15th took a position which forced his lordship 
to move upon Ciudad Rodrigo, and, passing the enemy's flank, 
he continued his retreat with some interruption from the enemy, 
and on the 19th passed the Agueda. On the 17th Sir E» 



273 

Paget, while reconnoitring, fell into the hands of the pursuing 
army.* 

Joseph Bonaparte left Madrid on the 4th, and the garrison he 
had left in that city evacuated it on the 7th, when a Spanish 
force took possession. 

General Ballasteros having beeu ordered by the Spanish go- 
vernment, at the suggestion of Lord Wellington, to march into 
La Mancha, and hang upon the enemy's Hank, disobeyed the 
order, assigning as his reason, the cortes having offered the chief 
command to the marquis; refusing to obey any orders issued by 
a foreigner as commander in chief of the Spanish armies. In con- 
sequence, the regency ordered him under arrest, General Cas- 
tanos was appointed his successor, and Ballasteros was sent as 
a prisoner to Ceuta. 

During this perilous retreat from the castle of Burgos, in the 
face of an enemy superior in force, and skilful to seize every 
opportunity of inflicting destructive blows upon his foiled and 
retiring adversary, the Marquis of Wellington appears greater 
than when pursuing his beaten foes, and triumphantly driving 
them for refuge to their own borders. JN r o advantage of any 
consequence could be gained by one of the first generals of the 
age, with a superior and veteran army, over an army inferior in 
numbers, disheartened by a reverse of fortune, and abandoned 
to a licentious want of discipline, so unexampled as to call forth 
the most severe exposure and reproof, which" ever a commander 
in chief inflicted upon the companions of his fortunes. 

In a letter which the marquis addressed to the commanding 
officers and battalious of the British army, after he had safely 
placed them in their cantonments for the winter, he states that 
the army under his. command had fallen off in discipline to a 
greater degree than any army in which he had ever served, or 

* The French official papers state the prisoners and deserters of the allied 
array which entered Salamanca from the iCth to the 2lst of November, as 
'25 officers and 3,497 men, Among these officers was Lieutenant General 
Paget. 



374 

of which he had ever read. That both in the retreat from Bur- 
gos and from Madrid, the officers lost command over their men- 
irregularities and outrages of all descriptions were committed 
with impunity, upon the individuals of that nation Avhose battles 
they pretended to fight, and whose defence from aggression was 
the ostensible object of their warfare. 

The Marquis of Wellington having placed his army in can- 
fonments at Freynada, proceeded to Cadiz, where he landed on the 
24th of December. On the 27th the congress of the cortes sent 
a deputation to congratulate him on his arrival ; and on the 29th 
the marquis, accompanied by a deputation of the Spanish gene- 
ral staff, and dressed in the full uniform of a Spanish captain ge- 
neral, with the military order of San Fernando, attended a meet- 
ing of the congress. Complimentary speeches passed between 
him and the president, and he retired amidst repeated acclama- 
tions. The objects of Lord Wellington's journey to Cadiz was, 
to arrange the business of the ensuing campaign, to arouse the 
Spanish government to the necessary exertions for its success, and 
to induce it to give him that power over the Spanish troops 
which he deemed necessary for the success of the allied forces. 
He succeeded in his exertions to obtain these important ends, 
but not without opposition, and great jealousies were manifested 
in respect to his receiving the supreme command. The regency 
and congress, however, invested him with the powers and title of 
generalissimo of the Spanish land forces. A portion of the 
Spanish general staff was appointed to attend the marquis, to 
whom all communications from the different armies were to be 
addressed, and through whom his lordship's orders were to be 
conveyed. 

The hostile armies remained inactive in their respective posi- 
tions ; the allies near Freynada, and the French between Lisbon 
and the Ebro, until the 20th of February, 1 8 1 3, when the French 
General Foy made some attempts upon the post of Bejar, occu- 
pied by General Hill; their success was, however, trifling, hav- 
ing surprised some Spanish hussars. 
The French army of Spain had now been weakened by the 
4 



3T5 

loss of the veteran troops, withdrawn to assist their army of the 
north, whose place would be poorly supplied by miserable con- 
scripts unused to military life. Marshal Soult had likewise been 
called to the assistance of the emperor, and Suchet placed in the 
command opposed to Lord Wellington. The state of French 
affairs after the disasters of the Russian campaign, indicated 
merely defensive measures in the Peninsula ; and accordingly 
we find that the first movement of their army was retrograde, 
they retiring behind the Ebro. On the 3d of March General 
Murray attacked their outposts, and on the 6th drove them from 
the town of Alcoy, which the allies occupied. 

Marshal Suchet now quitted Valencia, concentrating his army, 
aud General Murray fixed his head-quarters at Castella. The 
Spaniards attacked the French post at Puente del Abayda with 
some success. 

Ou the 11th of April Marshal Suchet attacked a Spanish 
corps under General Elio, at Yecla, which threatened his right 
while it supported the British left. The Spaniards were dis- 
lodged with loss. In the evening the French advanced to Vel- 
lena, and on the morning of the 1 2th captured two Spanish regi- 
ments. On the 13th the French attacked the heights on which 
the English were posted, but after a sanguinary conflict were 
repulsed, but were not followed. 

In the month of May the plan of the campaign, as formed by 
. Lord Wellington, began to be developed. As early as the 7th 
a brigade of the Spanish army, commanded by General Copan?, 
gained an advantage over the French, taking prisoners 294, and 
on the 17th another more general action took place, in which 
Copans succeeded in repulsing his adversary with considerable 
loss. In the mean-time the allied army, under the Marquis Wel- 
lington, divided into three parts, moved forward to the repossess 
sion of Spain. The centre, under the immediate direction oX 
his lordship, pushed on to Salamanca, once more gaining posses- 
sion of that celebrated city. So sudden was the entrance of the 
English, that 300 of the French rear guard were captured. The 
right, under General Hill, moved in a parallel direction with 



276 

the utmost panic ; the cavalry were flying in every direction, 
the infantry throwing away their arms, and the only effort of 
either was to escape. The troops under General Howard's com- 
mand, as well as those he had sent round the point of the moun- 
tain, pursued them over the rocks, making prisoners at every 
step, until his own men became so exhausted, and few in number, 
that it was necessary for him to halt and secure the prisoners. 

The force which Girard had with him at the commencement 
of the business, consisting of 2,500 infantry and 600 cavalry, 
were now totally dispersed or captured ; amongst the latter of 
whom were General Brune, the Prince d'Aremberg, two lieute- 
nant colonels, an aid de-camp, thirty captains and subalterns, 
and upwards of 1,000 soldiers, with the whole of their baggage, 
artillery, commissariat, and even the contributions which they 
had receutly levied. The enemy's loss in killed was also very 
severe, whilst, from the circumstances of the case, it was very 
trifling on the side of the British. Girard escaped himself with 
two or three hundred men, but without arms, and even these were- 
much harassed in their retreat by the Spanish peasantry. 



277 



SECTION IX. 

Spanish affairs— Surrender of Blake — Repulse of Montbrun— Siege of Ciudad 
Rodrigo— Assault and surrender of that fortress — Lord Wellington created 
an carl — Siege of Badajoz — Military details — Assault of the citadel, and 
surrender of the place — Anecdotes — Gallant conduct of the British cavalry 
at Villa Garcia — Marshal Soult kept in check in Andalusia — Exemplary 
conduct of the Portuguese militia — Sir Rowland Hill's expedition to \lma- 
raz — Gallant assault of that place, and its destruction — March to Salamanca 
— Retreat and manoeuvres of the French army — Salamanca taken by the 
British— Siege and capture of the French fortified posts in that city— move- 
ments of Marmont's army— Gallant affair of the British cavalry with the 
rear guard of the enemy — Movements before the battle of Salamanca- 
Incidents connected with that affair — Battle of Salamanca — Anco- 
dotes of the action — Defeat and pursuit of the French army— Fall of Ge- 
neral Le Marchant — Affecting anecdote of an English lady, &c. &c. 8cc. 

THE year 1812 opened with a severe misfortune to the 
Spanish cause on the eastern coast, Where Valencia not only ca- 
pitulated, but Blake surrendered with his whole army, giving up 
immense magazines of all kinds of stores to the French, Avho wejfe 
indeed less successful at Alicant, where Mootbrua was repulsed 
early in January. 

On the 3th of January Lord Wellington commenced his in- 
vestment of Ciudad Rodrigo, which had been lately considerably 
strengthened ; for since the French had got possession of it they 
had constructed a palisadoed redoubt on the hill of St. Francisco, 
and fortified three convents in the suburb, the defences of which 
were connected with the new work on the hill of St. Francisco, 
and with the whole line by which the suburb was surrounded. 
By these means they had increased the difficulty of approaching 
the place, and it was necessary to obtain possession of the work 
on the hill of St. Francisco before any progress could be made in 
the attack. 

Accordingly, Major General Crawford, who was in charge of 
the advanced operations, directed a detachmeut of the light divi- 
sion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Colbourne of the 
52d, to attack the work shortly after dark, which was executed 



■ 

canuon, 415 wagons of ammunition, and all the baggage, pro- 
vision, cattle, and treasure of their discomfited enemies. 

The battle commenced by Sir Rowland Hill obtaining pos- 
session of the heights of La Puebla, on which the left of the 
French army rested. For this service General Hill detached one 
brigade of the Spanish division under General Murillo, the other 
being employed in keepiug the communication between his 
main body on the high road from Miranda to Vittoria, and the 
troops detached to the heights. The French commander soon per- 
ceived the importance of the heights, and reinforced his troops so 
strongly, as to oblige Sir Rowland Hill to detach, first, the 71st 
regiment and the light infantry battalion of General Walker's 
brigade, and, successively, other troops to the same point. The 
allies not only gained possession, but maintained these impor- 
tant heights throughout their operations, notwithstanding re- 
peated efforts of the French to retake them. The contest here 
was very severe, and though the allies obtained their point, their 
loss was fully proportioned to the importance of the object. Under 
the cover which the possession of these heights gave him, Sir 
R. Rill passed the Zadora at La Puebla and the defile formed by 
the heights and the river. This gave him an opportunity of at- 
tacking and carrying the village of Sabijana de Alava in front of 
the French lino. 

The difficult nature of the country prevented the communica- 
tion of the allied columns, which were moving to the attack 
from their station on the river Rayas, until later than Lord Wel- 
lington had calculated on. The 4th and light divisions passed 
the Zadora, immediately after General Hill had gained possession 
of the village of Sabijana de Alava, and almost as soon as these 
had crossed the bridges of Nanclaus and Tres Puentes, the co- 
lumn under the earl of Dalhousie arrived at Mendoza, and the 
3d division, under Sir T. Picton, crossed the bridge higher up, 
followed by the 7th division, under Lord Dalhousie; these four 
divisions, forming the centre of the army, were destined by Lord 
Wellington to attack the heights on which the right of the 
enemy's centre was placed, while Sir Rowland Hill should move 



379 

forward from Sabijanade Alava to attack the left. The French 
commander, however, having weakened his line to strengthen his 
detachment in the hills, abandoned his position in the valley as 
soon as he saw the judicious disposition which his skilful adver- 
sary had made to attack it, and immediately commenced his re- 
treat in excellent order towards Vittoria. The army of the 
allies continued to advance in unbroken order, notwithstanding 
the extreme difficulties which the nature of the ground pre- 
sented. 

In the mean time Sir T. Graham, who commanded the left of 
the army, and who, by order of Lord Wellington, had moved on 
the 20th to Margina, advanced from thence on Vittoria, by the 
high road from that town to Bilboa. 

The force under Sir T. Graham consisted of the 1st and 5th 
divisions, Pack's and Bradford's brigades of infantry, with Bock's 
and Anson's cavalry. He had with him, besides, the Spanish 
division, under Colonel Louga and General Giron, who had been 
detached to the left, under a different view of the state of affairs, 
and had afterwards been recalled, but were now again marched, 
by order of the commander in chief, to be in readiness to sup- 
port Sir T. Graham. 

The French had a division of infantry and some cavalry ad- 
vanced on the great road from Vittoria to Bilboa, resting their 
right on some strong heights covering the village of Gamarra 
Maior. Both Gamarra and Abechuco were strongly occupied, 
ss tetes-de-pont to the bridges over the Zadora at these places. 

General Pack, with his Portuguese brigade, and Colonel 
Longa with the Spanish division were directed to turn and gain 
the heights. They were supported by Anson's brigade of light 
dragoons and the 5th division of infantry, under the orders of 
General Oswald, who was desired to take command of all these 
troops. Colonel Longa, being on the left, took possession of Ga- 
marra Menor. As soon as the allies gained the heights, the vil- 
lage of Gamarra Maior was stormed and carried by General 
Robinson's brigade of the 5th division, which advanced to the 
charge in columns of battalions under a very heavy fire of mug- 



380 

ketry and artillery, without firing a shot. The Freuch suffered 
severely, and retreated with the loss of three pieces of cannon. 
General Graham then proceeded to the attack of Abechuco. 
He ordered a strong battery against it, and, under cover of its 
fire, directed Halkett's brigade to advance to the attack. The 
village was carried by storm, the light battalion having charged 
and taken three guns and a howitzer on the bridge : this 
attack was supported by General Bradford's brigade of Portu- 
guese infantry. 

During the operations at Abechuco, the French made the 
greatest exertions to repossess themselves of the village of Ga- 
marra Maior. They repeatedly charged with the utmost gal- 
lantly, but were as often repulsed by the troops of the 5th division 
under General Oswald. 

Two divisions of infantry, which the French commander iu 
chief had posted on the heights, to the left of Zadora, prevented 
the allied troops from crossing the bridges, until the troops which 
had moved upon the centre of the French army, and on their 
left, had driveu them through Vittoria. The whole of the allied 
army then cooperated in the pursuit, which was continued by all 
till after it was dark. 

By the movemeut of the troops under Sir T. Graham, and 
their possession of Gamarra and Abechuco, Lord AVellington in* 
tercepted the retreat of his enemy by the high road to France, 
and forced him to turn towards Pampeluua; but the Freuch were 
unable to hold any position for a sufficient length of time to allow 
their baggage aud N artillery to be drawn off; the whole, there- 
fore, of the latter, which had not already been taken by the 
allies, and all their ammunition and baggage, were taken near Vit- 
toria. They carried off with them one gun and one howitzer. 

On the 2-llh the rear of the French army reached Pampeluna, 
the allies continuing an incessant pursuit. The advanced guard 
of the allies took from them, on that day, their only remaining gun; 
they therefore entered Pampeluua with one howitzer only, as the 
remains of their park of artillery. The total return of loss, on 
the part of the allies, was 5,277 "hors de combat" 



381 

General Clausel, who had under his command a part of the 
French army of the north, and one division of the army of Portu- 
gal, and who was not in the battle of the 21st, approached Vittoria 
the next day, but hearing of the late discomfiture, and finding 
there the 6th division of the allied army, he retired upon La 
Guardia, and afterwards to Tudela de Ebro. 

Lord Wellington despatched General Giron with the Galliciau 
army in pursuit of a convoy, which the French commander had 
sent off for Bayonne before the battle, but the intended prey 
escaped the pursuers. 

The bearer of Lord Wellington's despatches carried with him, 
as trophies of this splendid victory, the colours of the 4th bat- 
talion of the 100th Frencli regiment, and General Jourdan's 
baton as a Marshal of France. Great was the exultation iu 
Great Britain and Spain. The prince regent created the victor 
a field marshal, and the cortes, after haviug heard the despatches 
read which announced the triumphs of Vittoria, voted a monu- 
ment in commemoration of the victory, and of their gratitude to 
the Duke of Ciudad Ptodrigo. 

About the time that Lord Wellington gained this splendid 
victory in the north of Spain, the English General Murray was 
obliged in the east to raise the siege of Tarragona precipitately, 
and retreat, with the loss of 30 cannon, before Suchet. The army 
under General Murray sailed from Alicant on the 31st of May, 
and on the 4th of Jurae was landed at Cape Salon, near Tarragona, 
in force 13,000 infantry, and a proportion of cavalry. To 
secure the flank of bis army, General Murray sent a detachment 
to secure the Col de Balaguer, a mountainous pass close to the 
sea, through which winds the great road from Tortosa to Tarra- 
gona, and which was defended by the fort of San Felipe, garri- 
soned by about 100 French. As soon as the difficulties of the 
ground would enable the assailants to batter this fortress from 
the heights, this garrison was obliged to surrender. 

In the mean time Sir John Murray had commenced the siege 
©f Tarragona; but Suchet, his opponent, and the commander of 
the French ia this district, as soon as he ascertained the destfaa- 



382 

tion of the English armament, collected forces, and by the 12th 
of June approached near enough to Tarragona to give notice, by 
signals, of his intentions to relieve the place. His dispositions 
and force were such as to induce the English general to make a 
precipitate retreat, re-embarking with the loss of his battering 
train. 

On the 21st of June Sir John sailed southward, after blowing 
up the fort in the Col de Balaguer. Five of the English ships 
were lost in the mouths of the Ebro. The French marshal fol- 
lowed the armament by forced marches, to prevent a debarkation 
at Castellon de la Plana. 

About the end of June the army, which had failed in the ex- 
pedition against Tarragona, returned to Alicant; and General 
Murray having departed to tnke the command of the English in 
Sicily, Lord W. Bentinck was left in the chief command. Suchet 
having returned to Valencia and the Xucar about the same time, 
learned the news of the disastrous battle of Vittoria, which in- 
duced him to retreat towards the Ebro. 

Lord Wellington learning that the French force under Gene- 
ral Clausel was, as late as the 25th of June, liugering near Logrono, 
conceived it possible to intercept the return of that general into 
France ; and, with that view, detached several divisions of the 
allied army towards Tudela and Logrono. The marquis, how- 
ever, soon learned that the French general had moved upon Tu- 
dela, and thence to Saragossa ; and, giving up the hope of over- 
taking him, recalled the pursuing detachments into Navarre. 

From Saragossa Clausel turned northward, and although 
harassed by the Spanish partisan corps, he made good his way 
into France by the road of Iaca. 

Mean while, Pampeluna was completely blockaded by Sir 
Rowland Hill, who pushed some of his troops as far as the 
Bidassoa; while Sir Thomas Graham, continuing to advance 
from Tolosa, drove the French across the lower Bidassoa into 
their own country. 

The forts of Castro and Guetaria were found evacuated, and 
the garrison of Passages surrendered on the 30th of June to 
5 



333 

Colonel Looga, and the fortress of San Sebastian was blockaded 
forthwith. 

In the rear, likewise, the castle of Pancorvo, garrisoned by 
700 French, surrendered, on the 1st of July, to the Conde de Abis- 
bal, (O'Donnell,) who, with the Andelusian army of reserve, 
had followed close after Lord Wellington, and had, on the 29th 
of June, carried the town and lower fort by assault. He joined 
the main army immediately afterwards, and was charged with 
the blockade of Pampeluna. 

• Although the right and left wings of the great French army 
had thus been chased from the Spanish territory, the centre, un- 
der General Gaza, still tarried in the fertile valley of Bastan, 
with the seeming determination of remaining in it. To expel him 
from so advantageous a situation,' Lord Wellington detached 
General Sir Rowland Hill with a competent force, who, by the 
7th of July, had succeeded in freeing Spain from her gallic inva- 
ders on that side, with the exception of the garrisons of Pampe- 
luna and San Sebastian. 

To commence the siege of San Sebastian the greatest exertions 
were now making by the British field marshal, who intrusted the 
immediate care of the operations against that fortress to General 
Sir Thomas Graham. On the 12th of July General Graham 
broke ground, and on the 17th the convent of San Bartholome, a 
strongly-fortified outwork, after being breached, was carried by 
storm. After this success, the attack upon the main body of the 
works was carried on so vigorously, that, on the 24tb, two wide and 
practicable breaches were effected in the line of the wall of the 
left flank, and on the 25th the assault was undertaken. 

The first operation of the assault was blowing up a mine 
which the assailants had formed, by means of the pipe for the 
conveyance of water from the fountain of the town. This ex- 
plosion demolished the place d^arms, which entered the covered 
way. General Rey, the French commandant, was perfectly pre- 
pared for the attack. Soon after daylight, when the tide had 
fallen so as to leave the foot of the wall dry, the English columns 
moved forward to the assault, but they moved forward to cer- 



384 

lain destruction. The French received them with such a steady 
and incessant discharge of grape, musketry, and hand grenades, 
that all who entered the breaches were killed or wounded. General 
Graham, seeing the ineffectual loss of brave men, ordered the 
retreat, and the assault ceased. The loss of 'the assailants, as 
stated in the London Gazette, was 1,250. The French took 
possession of 584 of the wounded, besides making 237 others 
prisoners. 

Unfortunate as this result proved, the attempt was justified by 
the importance of gaining possession of the place with a view 
to ulterior operations, and by the critical situation of affairs in 
Navarre at the moment. 

There could be no doubt, from the character of the Emperor 
Napoleon, who had made such stupendous efforts to meet Rus- 
sia and Prussia, but that he would exert himself to meet and stop 
the progress of the Hibernian hero, who was leading an army of 
conquerors into the French dominions in an opposite direction. 
Accordingly, we see that on the 1 st of July, ten days after the 
battle of Vittoria, Marshal Soult, then in Germany, was declared, 
by an imperial decree, on the Elbe, Lieutenant de VEmpereur, 
and commander in chief of the French armies in Spain and in the 
south of France, and on the 13th of July he takes that com- 
mand at Bayonne. In twelve days more the discomfited French 
army, baggage and cannonless, is new modelled, newly or- 
ganized, newly equipped, and reinforced by almost half its former 
amount, is marched back as the assailant, with a most imposing 
aspect, and under the command of a great and experienced ge- 
neral, who had the last year contended successfully against the 
great leader of the allies. 

Blarshal Soult's army consisted of nine divisions of infantry, 
forming the right, centre and left, under the command of General 
llcille, Comte d'Erlon, and General Clausel, as lieutenant ge- 
nerals, with a reserve under general Villatte ; and two divisions 
of dragoons and one of light cavalry, the former under Gene- 
rals Treiliard and Tilly, the latter under the command of Genera] 



335 

Pierre Soult. There was, besides, allotted to the army, a lar°*_ 
proportion of artillery, some of which had already joined. 

The allied army, under Field Marshal Lord Wellington, on 
the 24th of July extended from Roncesvalles on the right, to 
San Sebastian, being posted in the passes of the mountains. 
Byng's brigade of British, and Murillo's brigade of Spanish in- 
fantry were on the right of the pass of Roncesvalles; Lieutenant 
General Sir Lowry Cole was posted at Viscaret to support 
those troops; and Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Picton, with 
the third division, at Olague, in reserve. 

Sir Rowland Hill occupied the valley of Bastan with the re- 
mainder of the 2d division, and the Portuguese division under 
the Conde de Amarante, detaching Campbell's Portuguese 
brigade to Los Aldecides, within the French territory. Fur- 
ther to the left, the light and 7th divisions occupied the 
heights of Santa Barbara, and extended to the town of Vera 
and the Puerto de Echalar, keeping the communication with 
the valley of Bastan. The 6lh division was in reserve at San 
Estavan. General Longa's division on the Lower Bidassoa kept 
the communication between the troops at Vera and the besieging 
corps before San Sebastian. The Conde del Abisbal blockaded 
Pampeluna. 

How far Lord Wellington was apprized of Marshal Soult's in- 
tention and power to act on the offensive is not certain, but from 
the extension of the line of the allies, aud its weakness in some 
essential points, we are led to judge that the English general did 
not expect to be attacked. 

On the 24th Marshal Soult collected the right and left wings 
of his army, with one division of his centre, and two divisions of 
cavalry, at St. Jean de Pied de Port, and the next day forced 
the pass of Roncesvalles. He attacked General Byng's post with 
about 30,000 men, and although Sir Lowry Cole moved up to 
his support, the French carried the pass in the afternoon, and 
General Cole retreated in the night to Zubiri. 

In the afternoon of the same day Marshal Soult attacked Sir 
Rowland Hill at the defile of the Puerto de Blaya at the head of 
49 



386 

the valley of Bastan, and forced the English to give way ; they, 
however, renewed the contest, but Sir Rowland, learning that 
General Cole had been obliged to retreat, withdrew his troops 
to Irurita. The loss of the English was severe iu men, and 
the French took four guns. 

Lord Wellington was informed of this critical state of affairs 
on his right, late in the night of the 25th, and immediately gave 
orders to concentrate the army to the right,' still providing for the 
siege of San Sebastian and for the blockade of Pampeluna. This 
disposition of the allied forces was changed by the necessity 
under which Generals Hill and Cole found themselves of still 
further retiring, and on the 27th they took a position near Pam- 
peluna, having their right in front of Huarte, their centre on the 
heights in front of Valalba, and their left resting upon a height 
which defended the high road from Zubiri and Roncesvalles. 
Morilla's Spanish infantry and a part of the Conde del AbisbaVs 
corps were in reserve. From the latter the regiments of Travia 
and El Principe were detached to occupy part of the hill on 
the right of the 4th division, by which the road from Zubiri was 
defended. The English cavalry, under Lieutenant General Sir 
Stapleton Cotton, were placed near Huarte on the right, the 
only ground on which troops of this description could be used. 

The river Lanz runs in the valley which was on the left of 
the allied, and on the right of the French army, along the road to 
Ostiz. Beyond this river there is another range of mountains 
connected with Ligasso and Marcalain, by which places it was 
now necessary for the allies to keep up a communication. 

Lord Wellington had scarcely arrived, on the 27th, at his 
right wing, while the 3d and 4th divisions were taking up 
their ground, when the French appeared in sight and formed 
upon a mountain between the high road and Zubiri, placing one 
division on a height to the left of the road and in some villages 
fronting the 3d division of the allies. 

The French soon commenced the battle by attacking a hill, on 
the right of the 4th division, occupied by a battalion of Portu- 
guese. Lord Wellington saw the importance of this hill, and re- 



287 

iaforced the defenders, so as to keep possession and repulse every 
effort of the assailants. Though the French failed in this at- 
tempt, they succeeded in an attack made at the same time upon 
the village of Sorausen on the road to Ostiz, by which they ac- 
quired the communication by that road, and they kept up a fire 
of musketry until it was dark. 

Early on the 28th of July Marshal Soult renewed the contest, 
but the seasonable arrival of the 6th division of infantry enabled 
Lord Wellington to occupy the heights on the left of the valley 
of Lanz, while the newly arrived troops formed across the valley 
in the rear of the 4th division, resting their right on Oricain and 
their left upon the heights just mentioned. Scarcely had the 6th 
division taken their position, when they were attacked by the 
French from the village of Sorausen ; but the positions of the 
allies were too well chosen to admit of an impression being made 
on them in this point, and the assailants were repulsed with great 
loss. 

Marshal Soult, finding his troops involved in difficulties in the 
valley of Lanz, ordered an attack upon the height occupied by 
the left of the 4th division of the allies, by way of extricating 
his troops in the valley; this partially succeeded; they gained 
possession of the height, but were, in turn, attacked and driven 
back with loss. 

The battle now became general aloug the whole front of the 
heights occupied by the fourth division, Avith various success, 
the result was, however, in favour of the allies, who repulsed the 
assailants at every point. 

The ill success of this attack upon Lord Wellington's right 
seems to have induced Marshal Soult to make a vigorous assault 
upon the left, where Sir Rowland Hill commanded. Lord Wel- 
lington had ordered General Hill to march by Lanz upon Lezasso, 
as soon as he found that Generals Picton and Cole had been 
driven from Zubiri. His lordship likewise ordered Lord Dal- 
housie from San Estavan to the same place, where both arrived 
on the 28th, and the seventh division came to Marcalain. 

That part of Marshal Soult's army which had been in front 



388 

of Sir Rowland Hill, followed his march, and arrived at Ortiz 
on the 29th, and on the 30th the French commander made an 
attack upon General Hill, with a view of turning the left of the 
allied armies. The allies were obliged to retire, and Marshal 
Soult gained the advantage of connecting his right in their posi- 
tion, with the divisions which attacked General Hill. 

This new infraction of the line of the allies would, to a gene- 
ral of Soult's abilities, have proved the forerunner of decided 
victory, had he not been opposed by a captain of at least equal 
military talents. It was at this critical moment that the genius 
of the Irish hero broke forth in its brightest lustre. Instead of 
merely acting on the defensive, by strengthening his left wing, 
he boldly determined to attack the left of the French, though 
situated in the most advantageous position, and commanded by 
Soult in person. 

Lieutenant General the Earl of Dalhousie was ordered to 
possess himself of the top of the mountain in his front, by which 
the right of the French army would be turned, and Sir Thomas 
Picton was ordered at the same time to cross the heights on 
which the left of the French army had stood, and to turn their 
left by the road to Roncesvalles. Plvery arrangement was made 
to attack in front as soon as the effect of these movements on the 
flank should appear. Lord Dalhousie drove the troops from the 
mountain by which the right flank of the French was defended, 
and immediately General Pakenham turned the village of Sorau- 
sen, while the 6th division of the allies and Byng's brigade, at- 
tacked and carried the village of Ortiz. Lieutenant General 
Sir Lowry Cole attacked the front of the main position of the 
Freuch with equal success. 

Thus the heights occupied by Marshal Soult, a position among 
the strongest ever occupied by an army, were literally taken by as- 
sault, and the troops driven from their vantage ground at the point 
of the bayonet. So vigorous w T as the pursuit, that the column 
which still pressed upon Sir Rowland Hill was actually in the 
rear of Lord Wellington. His lordship, in proportion to the 
success of his attack, had been enabled to detach troops to the 



389 

support of Geieral Hill, who had been attacked and forced from 
the height which he occupied behind the Lezasso to the next 
raDge, where he maintained himself, until the French, finding 
that the battle had gooe against them elsewhere, retreated, and 
took up a strong position, with two divisions, to cover their rear 
in the pass of Donna Maria. 

Generals Hill aud Dalhousie attacked and carried the pass not- 
withstanding its strength and the vigorous resistance of the 
French. 

In the mean time Lord Wellington moved by the pass of Vclate 
upon Irutita, turning the French position ou Donna Maria. 
The pursuit was continued and many prisoners made, with bag- 
gage and other trophies of victory taken. On the 1st of August 
the allies were nearly in the same positions which they occupied 
on the 25th of July. 

These hard and bloody struggles to keep the ground gained by 
the battle of Vittoria, show us how futile the efforts of England 
would have been in the Peninsula but for the successes of Kussia. 
The oppositionists in England had looked upon the efforts of the 
EDglish ministry to expel the French from the Peninsula as the 
effects of madness. Lord Grenville derided the attempt, and 
predicted, ou one occasion, in the house of lords, that not an En- 
glish soldier remained at that moment in the Peninsula, except 
as a prisoner to Napoleon Bonaparte. Oppositionists are always 
the assailants, and assailants are always furious and proportiona- 
bly blind ; but in this instance, all the probabilities were on the 
side of the prophet of evil. Another opposition leader, tiie Mar- 
quis «of Wellesley, the illustrious brother of the more illustrious 
Wellington, saw the power of France in the same alarming point 
of view, but he did not endeavour to paralyze the efforts of his 
country against that power, he stimulated to greater efforts and 
more proportionate to the object, and to him, next to the Russian 
power, the field marshal of England owes it, that he was enabled 
to encounter not only the French power in Spain, but the general 
prepossession of the English people against the war in the Penin- 
sula. The abilities of Wellington, rather than the united powers 



of Britain and Spain, now defeated the French, and blasted the 
expectations of Marshal Soult of again chasing his opponent into 
Portugal. 

On the 2d of August the French still continued posted with 
a force of two .divisions on the Puerto de Echalar, and nearly 
the whole army behind the Puerto. Lord Wellington deter- 
mined to dislodge them by a combined attack and movement of 
three divisions. The fourth division of the allies, which pre- 
ceded the others, alone made the attack, and the French abandon- 
ing their position, their whole army retreated, and enabled Lord 
Wellington to annouuce, on the 4th of August, " There is now 
no enemy in the field within this part of the Spanish frontier." 

The English accounts stated the French loss in the recent en- 
gagements as 15,000, and their own as 9,696, Avithout including 
ihe loss sustained by the Spaniards, which is supposed by the 
English journalists to make the amount of loss at least 10,000. 

Lord William Bentinck was, on the 21st of July, at Benaroz, 
and preparing to cross the Ebro. Marshal Suchet,in retreating 
before his lordship, had left a garrison of 4,000 men at Tortosa. 
which was invested by the Duke de Parque. 



fli 



391 



SECTION XII. 



Recommencement of operations against San Sebastian — French attack the 
covering army — Are repulsed by the Spaniards— Storming of San Sebas- 
tian — The town carried by assault — The castle capitulates— Destruction of 
San Sebastian, and atrocities committed by the English and Portuguese 
upon the Spanish inhabitants — Charges published against the English com- 
manders and soldiers — Inquiry and answer to the charges — Publication by 
the Spanish magistracy — Army of the allies pass the Bidassoa, and drive 
the French from their entrenched positions — Lord Wellington's orders for 
respecting the persons and property of the French — Outrages committed 
by his troops — His lordship's indignant reproaches and repetition of his or- 
ders — High esiimation in which Lord Wellington stands with the world- 
Strong position of Marshal Soult at St. Jean de Luz— Surrender of Para- 
peluna — Lord Wellington attacks the French lines, and gains a complete 
victory — The French having retired to their entrenched camp before 
Bayonne, the allies, by a series of operations, continue their approaches — 
Marshal Soult attacks the allies, and is again defeated with great loss. 

THE English recommenced their fire against San Sebastian 
on the 26th of August, on the night of which day a detachment, 
under Captain Cameron, formed an establishment on the island 
of Santa Clara, taking prisoners a party of FrencH who held it. 
On the 30th Lord Wellington ordered the storm, and the town 
was carried with much loss to the assailants, who made 670 pri- 
soners, and the French retired to the castte. 

On the same day that a part of the army of the Marquis of 
Wellington carried the town by storm, another portion defeated 
the French army, which attempted, by an attack on their lines, to 
relieve the place. The French had for some days been drawing 
their forces to the camp at Urogne, and the marquis prepared to 
meet the assault which he foresaw. Three divisions of the fourtli 
Spanish army, commanded by Don Manual Freyre, occupied the 
heights of San Marcial and the town of Irun, by which the ap_ 



392 

proach to San Sebastian by the high road was protected; and they 
were supported by the first division of English infantry, under 
Major General Howard, and Lord Aylmer's brigade on their 
left aud the rear of Irun ; and by General Longa's division, en- 
camped near the Sierra de Aya, in the rear of their right. On 
the 30th the commander in chief, in order still further to secure 
the Spanish troops, moved two brigades of the fourth division to 
the convent of San Anthonio ; one of these divisions moved the 
same day to the Sierra de Aya and the other the next morning, 
leaving the 9th Portuguese brigade on the heights between the 
convent and Vera and Lezaca. Inglis's brigade of the seventh 
division was moved to the bridge of Lezaca ; and the orders of 
Ihe marquis were for the troops of the Puertos of Echalar and 
Maya, to attack the enemy's weakened posts in front of these 
positions. 

Before daylight on the morning of the 31st the French crossed 
the Bidassoa in force, by the fords between Andara and the site 
of the bridge of the high road, and attacked the whole front of 
the position of the Spanish troops on the height of San Marcial. 
The Spaniards repulsed them, and even drove some of them back 
across the river. The attack was frequently repeated with the 
same result. Under cover of the cannon, which commanded a 
part of the river, the French, having constructed a bridge, passed 
an additional force over in the afternoou, and made another des- 
perate attackupon the Spaniards. This was beat back with the 
same determined gallantry, and finding all their efforts ineffectual, 
the French withdrew duriug the darkness of the night, under 
cover of a violent storm. During these attacks the English 
supporting divisions were not engaged. 

Nearly at the same time that the French crossed the Bidassoa, 
in front of the heights of San Marcial, they likewise crossed that 
river wijth about three divisions of infantry in two columns, by 
the fords below Salin, in front of the position occupied by the 9th 
Portuguese brigade. Upon seeing this movement of his antago- 
nist, the marquis immediately ordered Major General Inglis to 
support the Portuguese with his brigade, and Lieutenant Gene- 



393 

ral the Earl of Dalhousie to move with the seventh division 
towards the Bidassoa, at the same time ordering the light division 
to support General Inglis by every means in their power. The 
French drove the English brigade of Iuglis from its position be- 
tween Lezuca and the river, to the heights in front of the convent 
of San Anthonio, where two divisions of the English array were 
posted. In the mean time Major General Kempt advanced with 
a brigade of the light division, checked the French, and covered 
the advance of Lord Dalhousie to join General Inglis. By this 
time the French commander in chief, finding that the attack upon 
the Spanish troops had not succeeded, and that English troops 
now covered and protected the right of the Spanish line, while 
the French situation on the left of the Bidassoa became every 
moment more critical, retired during the night. The fall of 
rain during the evening and night had so swollen the Bidassoa, 
that the rear of the French column was forced to cross at the 
bridge of Vera^ which they could only do by attacking Major 
Skerret's brigade of the light division. They accordingly at- 
tacked at three in the morning of the 1st of September, and made 
good their passage of the bridge. 

While this was going on upon the left of the allied army, Maris- 
cal de Campo Don Pedro Giron, attacked the French posts ia 
front of Echalar, on the 30th and 31st of August. General 
Zugarramurde, with the 6th Portuguese brigade on the 31st; 
and Colonel Douglass, on the same day, attacked the pass of 
Maya, with the 7th Portuguese brigade. All these troops con- 
ducted themselves so as to merit and receive the approbation of 
their great commander, who had the satisfaction of defeating the 
second attempt of the French to prevent the establishment of 
the allies on the frontiers, by the efforts of a part of his army 
principally Spanish and Portuguese, at the same time that the 
town of San Sebastian was carried by the English. 

The storming of San Sebastian was on this as on the former 

occasion, a most murderous business, and though the result was 

different, the detail is but too similar. The command of the at- 

tackrested with Sir Thomas Graham, who ordered the assault to be 

50 



394 

made by the 2d brigade of the 5th division, uiider Major Gtut- 
ral Robinson, supported by several detachments of volunteers, 
with a reserve under Major Hill, the whole under the direction 
of Lieutenant General Sir J. Leith. Sir Thomas Graham 
crossed the Urumia to the batteries of the right attack, from 
whence every thiug could be distinctly seen, and the fire of the 
batteries, according to circumstances, directed. 

The column in filing out of the right of the trenches, was, as 
before, exposed to a heavy fire of shells and grape shot, and a 
mine was exploded in the left angle of the counterscarp of the 
horn work, which did great damage to the assailants, but did not 
check their approach to the breach. On arriving at the wall 
they found the breach much less practicable than it had appear^ 
ed. Notwithstanding its great extent, there was but one point 
Avhere it was possible to enter, and that by single files. All the 
inside of the Wall to the right of the curtain, formed a perpen- 
dicular scarp of at least twenty feet, so that the narrow ridge of 
the curtain itself, formed by the breaching of its end and front, 
Was the only accessible point. 

During the suspension of the operations of the siege, from 
want of ammunition, the defendants had made every exertion 
to repel an assault, which skill and industry could effect. Great 
numbers of men were covered by entrenchments and traverses iu 
the ho'rnworks, on the ramparts of the curtain, and inside thf 
(own opposite to the breach, and now stood ready to pour a most 
destructive fire of musketry on both flanks of the approach to 
the top of the narrow ridge of the curtain. In vain were the 
assailants brought forward from the trenches in succession — no 
man outlived the attempt to gain the ridge. 

The attack appeared altogether desperate, when Sir Thomas 
Graham directed the guns of the English batteries to be turned 
against the curtain of the defendants, thus pouring his shot over 
the heads of the assailants in the breach, with destructive pre- 
cision upon their opponents. Mean time Major General Brad- 
ford's Portuguese brigade offered to ford the river near its 






395 

mouth, which being accepted, and Major Snodgrass, with the ad 
vauce of the 13th regiment, and Lieutenant Colonel M'Beap, 
with a part of the 24th, advanced over the open beach, under a 
severe fire of grape, and after much slaughter carried two of the 
breaches. Sir Thomas Graham now seeing the great effect of the 
fire of the batteries against the curtain, ordered a great effort to 
be made to gain the high ridge at all hazards, at the same time 
that an attempt should be made to storm the horn work. The 
troops destined for this service arrived to assault the breach of 
the curtain about the time that an explosion on the rampart 
created some confusion among the defendants. The narrow pass 
was gained, and was maintained after a severe conflict, and the 
troops on the right of the breach, having succeeded in forcing 
the barricades on the top of the narrow line of the wall, found 
iheir way into the houses that joined it. 

Thus, after an assault which lasted above two hours, under the 
most trying circumstances, the assailants gained a firm footing, 
and in an hour more the French troops, driven from all their de- 
fences, retired to the castle. 

The operations against the castle of San Sebastian were con- 
tinued, under the direction of General Graham, until the 8th of 
September, on which day the garrison capitulated to become 
prisoners of war. The garrison, including 535 sick and wound- 
ed, amounted to 1,830. 

The unfortunate Spanish city of San Sebastian experienced, 
during this contest, between their French invaders and English 
defenders, almost all the horrors which the infernal passions, 
cherished by war, can inflict upon the human race. The city 
was given up to the sack and pillage of the licentious soldiery, 
while the fire, set to it by both friends and enemies, raged in 
every quarter. Many of the unarmed inhabitants were shot 
and bayoneted by the English soldiers, while others experien- 
ced those indignities, which, to the honourable, are worse than 
death. 

Spanish jealousy, which had been excited on more than one 
occasion, against the English, was raised to a high pitch by th* 



396 

atrocities committed in Sau Sebastian, and charges, many true awl 
many altogether groundless, were preferred not only against (lie 
soldiery, but the officers and eveu the commanders. It was said, 
that the English general commanding the siege purposely burnt 
the city. That the English wished its destruction from a spirit 
of rivalry and envy of the advantages it derived in its commerce 
with France. 

The Spanish regency made an earnest representation to Field 
Marshal Wellington on the subject of these charges, requesting 
that he would inform himself of every particular relative to the 
alleged atrocities. His lordship easily repelled the charge of 
intentional destruction of the city by fire as it respected himself. 
He states in his answer, which was communicated to the British 
ambassador, that he had refrained from bombarding the city, and 
had given every order for its preservation. That the city was 
on fire previous to the assault. He admits and laments the sack- 
ing of the city, but asserts that the officers endeavoured to pre- 
vent it. He concludes by saying, that many of the offending 
soldiers had been punished.^ 

* I have no doubt that the most noble marquis believed, after making what 
he deemed a sufficient investigation into the causes of the destruction of San 
Sebastian, and the conduct of his troops, that the ciry was burnt by the 
Trench, and that the English officers endeavoured to restrain the soldiery, 
after having let them loose in the Work of destruction and torture, upon the 
inhabitants of a city whose deliverers they professed to be ; but Lord Wel- 
lington only questioned those whose interest it was to deceive him, those offi- 
cers and soldiers whom he had, on a former occasion, stigmatized for want of 
discipline and atrocious licentiousness, beyond any example within the scope 
of his knowledge. 

AVho stopped the inquiries of his lordship in the course where truth would 
have been most likely to be found, does not appear, but it is certain that 
the Spanish inhabitants of the city were not examined, or they would have 
told his lordship, that which they have told the world, in a document signed by 
the magistrates, principal ecclesiastics, and others, to the amount of one 
hundred and eighty : they would have told him that the fire which the chance 
of war set to their city had been extinguished, and that the flames which con- 
sumed it were communicated purposely by the soldiery, when in full posses- 
sion thereof, after the retreat of their enemies ; that the soldiers danced 
round the flames, and prevented the attempts to slop the conflagration ; thafc 



397 

After the fall of the fortress of San Sebastiao, the movements 
s>f the opposing armies were of little interest for some time, and 
no event of importance occurred until the 7th of October, on 
which day Lord Wellington having previously judged it neces- 
sary that the allied army should pass the Bidassoa, having given 
his orders for that purpose, the operations were successfully 
carried into effect. 

Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Graham having directed 
that the 1st and 5th divisions, and the 1st Portuguese bri- 
gade, under General Wilson, should pass the river in four co- 
lumns, three of them by the lower bridge of Irun, and the other 
by the upper bridge, the movement was made with complete 
success. 

These columns were commanded by Generals Hay, Crevillcj 
Stopfort, and Howard. 

the inhabitants were shot at the moment when they received their English 
and Portuguese deliverers with acclamations, while those females who were 
soon to be violated or more humanely murdered, were waving their hand- 
kerchiefs in token of welcome ; that, the scenes of fiendlike atrocity were 
not confined in duration to the day of the assault, or the night following, but 
continued day after day, and night after night, for four-and-twenty days ; that 
not only the soldiers who bore the peril of the attack, were thus solaced by 
an indulgence of their propensities to the most deadly and abominable evil, 
but that the troops came unarmed from the neighbouring encampment to 
plunder and give loose to these demoniacal passions ; thai the attendants upon 
the camp, and even the crews of the English transport ships, came in for a 
share of the spoil of their Spanish friends ; they would have described scenes 
at which humanity shudders, and which but to read causes the blush of shame 
and indignation to burn up on the cheek of every man deserving of ihe name; 
and they would have told his lordship, that his officers saw, and permitted, 
and shared in the spoil. 

That the common soldiery of an army, when let loose from the restraints 
of discipline, will frequently behave as these monsters did at San Sebastian, 
the testimony of all history, and our own experience in America, are sufficient 
proofs ; but that English officers should countenance, if not join in, such dia- 
bolical excesses on the property and persons of friends, would not have been 
believed under less testimony than the Spanish magistrates of San Sebastian, 
backed by that of Lord Wellington himself in his general orders on a former, 
occasion. 



393 

Lieutenant General Fryere made a disposition that the part of 
the fourth Spanish army under his immediate orders should pass 
in three columns by the upper route, on which the Portuguese 
troops had passed. These columns were composed of the bri- 
gades of Generals Del Carro and fispelata, and Colonels Ca- 
retto, Gonoch, and Placentia, under the immediate direction of 
Marshals de Camp de la Barcena, and Porlier. The object of 
the first columns was to gain possession of the entrenchments of 
the French at the upper part of the Andaye, while, at the same 
time, the other three were to take the entrenchments on the green 
mountains and the heights of Mandale ; and thus to turn the left 
of the French army. 

The operations of both these bodies of troops were crowned 
with success. The Portuguese took seven pieces of artillery 
in the redoubts and batteries which fell into their hands, and the 
Spaniards took one piece in the works which they carried. 

The French defended their works gallantty against the superior 
numbers of their assailants, and the 9th English regiment was 
several times repulsed before they could carry the object of their 
attack, which they did at the point of the bayonet, after, suffering 
very great loss. 

During these operations on the left, Major General Baron 
d' Allen, with the right division under his command, made an at- 
tack on the entrenchments in the pass of "Vera, supported by the 
Spanish division under General Longat; and Major General Don 
Giron made at the same time an attack with the right of the light 
division and the Andalusiau army of reserve, on the entrenched 
posts which the French occupied in the mountain of La Rhune. 
Colonel Cockburn, commanding Skerret's brigade, made an at- 
tack upon a strongly-entrenched camp on the right of the French, 
the 5 2d regiment gallantly entering the trenches and overthrow- 
ing the French troops with the bayonet. 

The light division made 422 prisoners, and took three pieces 
of artillery. 

The entrenched posts of the French army on the mountain 
La Rhune, were attacked by the Andalasian army of reserve s 



399 

headed by Generals Vernes and Torry. These troops gallantly 
overthrew all opposition until they came to the foot of a rock, 
where a hermitage stood, in which the French made a successful 
stand. The Spaniards made repeated attempts to carry it by 
assault, but were as often repulsed with slaughter. They could not 
scale the rock, and the French remained during the night in pos- 
session of the hermitage, which is situated on the declivity of 
the mountain, and was on the right of the Spanish troops. 

Lord Wellington being informed of this obstacle to his success, 
reconnoitred it the next morning, and as soon as the fog which en- 
veloped the mountain would permit him to see the exact situation 
of the post and surrounding ground, he found it accessible on the 
right, and capable of being attacked with success by uniting with 
the attack on it a simultaneous attack upon the field works, which 
the French had thrown up in front of the camp of Sarre. His 
lordship immediately ordered the army of reserve of Andalusia 
to concentrate, and on the arrival of the troops under the com- 
mand of General Giron, orders were given to attack the French 
posts on the heights to the right of the allies, which were carried 
in the most gallant manner, and, following the advantage they had 
gained, they drove the French troops from another entrenchment 
situated on a height aud protecting the camp of Sarre. 

The French immediately abandoued their other positions for 
the purpose of defending the avenues of the camp of Sarre, 
and their works were taken possession of by the 7th division, 
which Lord Wellington had ordered to march for that purpose, 
under Lieutenant General the Earl of Dalhousie by the pass of 
Echalar. 

While this was doing, General Giron established the battalion 
of Catalonia upon the rock of the hermitage, to the left of the 
French post. Night prevented any further operations on the 
part of the allies, and under cover of the darkness, the Freuch 
general withdrew his troops from the hermitage and from the 
camp of Sarre. 

In these actions, the loss of the English and Portuguese, by 



400 

the English account, was 814. The Spanish loss \ find no re- 
turn of. 

Field Marshal Wellington had, on the 9th of July, when on 
the borders of France, published a general order, requiring of 
the officers and soldiery, that upon entering the French territory 
they should pay an inviolable respect to the persons and pro- 
perty of the French people, and that every article furnished for 
the army should be paid for ; now, upon actually entering France, 
his lordship found that that army which had committed such 
atrocities upon their friends, could not easily be restrained from 
indulging their disposition to rapine and murder on the property 
and persons of Frenchmen. Every species of outrage was com- 
mitted by the troops, and some of them in presence of the 
officers, who did not take any measures to stop them. 

Indignant at such conduct, so contrary to policy as well as 
humanity, Lord Wellington repeated his former order on the 8th 
of October, 1813, prefacing it with a reproachful statement of 
the facts, and informing the army that the officers who had so 
greatly neglected their duty should be sent to England, " that the 
prince regent may know their names, and take such measures 
respecting them as he shall please, as the commandant of the 
forces is determined to have no officers under his command who 
will not obey his orders." 

The surrender of Pampeluna, on the 31st of October, put an 
end to the French invasion of Spain ; and France, in her turn, was 
now open to the victorious army of the allies, under the di- 
rection of one of the most consummate generals of this or any 
other age. 

The series of successes which had attended the arms of Lord 
Wellington, made him at this time a prominent object of admira- 
tion to the conflicting nations of Europe. Spain, with aH her 
suspicious that the friendship of England was hollow, could not 
but gratefully admire the conduct of the Duke of Ciudad Ro- 
drigo. France saw with astonishment her best troops and gene- 



401 

rate baffled aud beaten by Englishmen, Portuguese and Spaniards 
but remarked with self complacency, that the leader was taught 
in her schools. England saw with exultation a portion of its 
brightness restored to her military fame ; and Ireland, partici- 
pating in the glories won to her couqueror by an Hibernian hero' 
in the glow of generous ardour, bestowed the crown of Spain 
upon the English field marshal; and some of the Irish political 
writers, asserting as a fact that which they wished proclaimed to 
the world, that the grandees of Spain had offered the kingdom to 
Lord Wellington. 

One might have supposed that such an assertion would only 
occasion a smile even in Spain. Bui on the contrary the Spa- 
nish grandees very gravely undertook to contradict the Irish 
journalists, and published a denial of any such intention, or of 
any intentions but such as were consonant with their loyalty to 
their admirable sovereign Ferdinand VII. of the admirable house 
of Bourbon. 

Early in August the French army under Marshal Soult took 
up a strong position near St. Jean de Luz. Here the French 
marshal continued to strengthen himself, while his great antago- 
nist waited the event of the siege of Pampeluna. The right of 
the French army extended to the sea, in front of St. Jean de 
Luz, their centre on La Petite La Rhune in Sarre, and on the 
heights behind the village, and their left, consisting of two divi- 
sions of infantry, on the right of that river, on a strong height in 
the rear of Anhoue, and on the mountain of Mandarin, which 
protected the approach to that village. They had one division 
at St. Jean Pied de Port, and on the 7th of October, the allies 
having passed the Bidassoa, another division took post at that 
place. 

The whole of this position, naturally strong, was strengthened 
by all that skill and labour could perform, and the right in par- 
ticular appeared so formidable to Lord Wellington, that when 
meditating his attack, he did not deem it expedient to approach 
it in front. 

51 



402 

After the surrender of Fampeluna, the English field marshal 
directed all the movements of the allies to the intended attack 
upon Soult's strong position. Sir Rowland Hill, who had cover- 
ed the siege, was ordered to the valley of Bastan. Lord Wel- 
lington determined on the 8th of November for the attack, but 
heavy falls of rain on the previous days rendered it necessary to 
defer the battle to the 10th. 

The object of the attack being to force the enemy's centre, 
and to establish the allied armies in the rear of the right of the 
French, the attack was made in columns of divisions, each led 
by the general officer commanding it, aud each forming its own 
reserve. 

Lieutenant General Sir Rowland Hill directed the move- 
ment of the right, consisting of the second division, under Lieu- 
tenant General the honourable Sir William Stewart, the sixth 
division under Lieutenant General Sir H. Clinton, a Portuguese 
division under Lieutenant General Sir John Hamilton, and a 
Spanish division, under General Morillo, with Colonel Grant's 
brigade of cavalry, Colonel Tulloh's brigade of Portuguese ar- 
tillery, and three mountain guns. This force attacked the 
positions of the French army behind the village of Anhoue. 

Marshal Sir William Beresford directed the movements of the 
centre of the allied army consisting of the third division under 
Major General the honourable Charles Colville, the seventh 
division under Mariscal de Campo Le Cor, and the fourth di- 
vision under Lieutenant General the honourable Sir Lewry 
Cole. 

The fourth division attacked the redoubts in front of Sarre,, 
the village and the heights behind it. They were supported by 
the army of reserve of Andalusia, under the command of the 
Mariscal de Campo Don Pedro Giron, which attacked the posi- 
tions of the French on their right of the village of Sarre, on the 
slopes of La Petite La Rhune, and the heights behind the village 
on the left of General Cole's division. 

Major General Charles Baion Alten, attacked with the light 
division, and General Longa's Spanish division. Their desti- 



403 

nation was to carry the French positions on La Petite La Rhune, 
and then to cooperate with the right of the centre in the attack 
on the heights behind the village of Sarre. 

Alten's brigade of cavalry, under the direction of Lieutenant 
General Sir Stapleton Cotton, followed the movements of the 
centre, and there were three brigades of English artillery with this 
part of the army, and three mountain guns with General Giron, 
and three with General Alten. 

Lieutenant General Don Manual Freyre moved in two co- 
lumns from the heights of Mandale towards Ascain, in order to 
take advantage of any movements which the French marshal 
might make from the right of his position towards the centre ; 
and Lieutenant General Sir John Hope drove in the French out- 
posts in front of their entrenchments on the lower Nivelle, car- 
ried the redoubt above Orogne, and established himself on the 
heights immediately opposite Sibour, in readiness to take 
advantage of any movement made by the right of the French 
army. 

Such were the dispositions of the English field marshal, and 
under the direction of his comprehensive mind, at daylight the 
work of death began. 

Sir Lowry Cole having obliged the French to evacuate the 
redoubt on their right in front of the village of Sarre by a can- 
nonade, and the redoubt in front of the left of the village having 
been abandoned on the approach of the seventh division under- 
General Le Cor, General Sir Lowry Cole attacked and pos- 
sessed himself of the village, which was turned on its left by 
the third division under General Colville, and on its right by the 
reserve of Andalusia under General Giron. 

About the same time Major General Charles Baron Alten car- 
ried the positions on La Petite La Rhune, after which the whole 
cooperated in attacking Marshal Soult's main position behind the 
village of Sarre. 

The third and seventh divisions immediately carried the re- 
doubts on the left of the French centre, the light division at the 
same time carried those on the right, while the 4th division with 



404 

the reserve of Andalusia, attacked the positions of their centre. 
By these attacks the French were obliged to abandon their 
strong positions fortified with so much care, time, and labour. 
In the principal redoubt on the height they left the 1st battalion 
of the 88th regiment, which immediately surrendered. 

While these operations were going on in the centre, Lord Wel- 
lington had the pleasure of seeing the 6th division, under Lieute- 
nant General Sir Henry Clinton, after having crossed the Nivelle, 
and driven in the French piquets on both sides of the river, and 
after having covered the passage of the Portuguese division 
under Lieutenant General Sir John Hamilton, make a most gal- 
lant attack upon the French position behind Anhoue, and on the 
right of the Nivelle, and carry all the entrenchments and the re- 
doubt on that flank. General Hamilton supported with the Por- 
tuguese division, and both joined in the attack of the second 
redoubt, which was immediate lv carried. 

Major General Pringle's brigade of the secoud division, under 
Lieutenant General the honourable Sir William Stewart, drove 
in the French piquets on the Nivelle, and in front of Anhoue, 
and immediately Major General Byng's brigade of the second 
divisiou carried the entrenchments and a redoubt farther on the 
left of the French. Major General Morillo covered the advance 
of the whole, to the heights behind Anhoue, by attacking the 
French posts on the slopes of Mandarin, and following the retreat 
of their troops towards Itzatee. By these operations, made under 
the directions of Sir Rowland Hill, the troops on the heights be- 
hiud Anhoue were forced to retire beyond the bridge of Cambo on 
the Nive, with the exception of the division in Mandarin, which 
was pushed by a part of the second division, under Sir William 
Stewart, into the mountains towards Baygory. 

As soon as the heights were carried on both banks of the 
Nivelle, Lord Wellington ordered the 3d and 7th divisions^ 
being the right of the centre of the allies, to move by the left 
of that river upon St. Pe, and the 6th divisiou to move upon 
the same place upon the opposite side of the river, while the 
Hh and left divisions, and General Giron's reserve held the 



405 

freights above Ascain and covered this movement on that side, 
and Sir Rowland Hill on the other. 

A part of the French army had retired from their centre and 
crossed the Nivelle at St. Pe, they were attacked by the allies 
as soon as they could cross in pursuit, who gained possession of 
the heights beyond the river. 

Thus the allies were established in the rear of the right of 
Marshal Soult according to Lord Wellington's plan, but the day 
was noAV speDt, and no further movements could be made. It was 
his lordship's intention to pursue his plan of attack on the next 
day, but Marshal Soult, seeing a part of his strong positions 
forced by a superior enemy, would not hazard the defence of the 
remainder, so exposed and weakened, and in the night withdrew 
his array from the works in front of St. Jean de Luz, retiring 
upon Bedart, and destroying all the bridges on the Lower Nivelle. 
A part of the allied army followed on the next day as soon as 
they could cross the river, but the French were safe from 
further attacks and on the night of the 1 1th of November, Mar- 
shal Soult placed his army in security in his entrenched camp in 
front of the city of Bayonne. 

Lord Wellington held as trophies of his new victory fifty-one 
pieces of cannon, six trumbrils of ammunition, and 1,400 pri- 
soners ; his loss in killed, wounded, and missing was 2 general 
staff, 6 lieutenant colonels, 4 majors, 44 captains, 80 lieutenants, 
42 ensigns, 6 staff, 161 sergeants, 29 drummers, 2,420 rank and 
file; making a total of 2,484, exclusive of Spaniards, so that the 
loss of the allies may be estimated on this occasion at upwards of 
3,000 men. 

The news of this victory arrived in London on the same day 
that accounts were received of the successes gained over Bona- 
parte by the Russians, Swedes, Austrians, Prussians, &c. and 
the restoration of the Orange government in Holland, and added 
to the general strain of exultation. That France should be in- 
vaded in her turn, was thought a measure of retributive justice 
for the misery her ruler had inflicted upon other aatieus, and the 



406 

restoration of the race of the Bourbons was anticipated as the 
consummation of European happiness. 

The rains which commenced immediately after the battle of 
the 10th of November continued until the 19th, and rendered the 
roads and country almost impracticable for any military opera- 
tions. Lieutenant General Sir Rowland Hill reconnoitred the 
French posts at the tete de pont at Cambo, on the 12th, and again 
on the 15th; on that day, alter blowing up the bridge, the French 
troops withdrew from the place. 

On the 18th a detachment from the French army recon- 
noitred the posts occupied by Sir John Hope, some skirmishing 
ensued, aud Brigadier General Wilson was wounded. 

On the same day Marshal SirW. Beresford drove the French 
posts across the bridge of Urdainsand established his posts there. 
The French attacked him next morning, and endeavoured to 
destroy the bridge, but were repulsed. 

Lord Wellington conceiving it to be of importance that the 
advanced posts of the left division should be pushed nearer the 
French lines, this movement was accordingly ordered to be made 
on the 23d of November. The troops accordingly advanced, 
but were obliged to retreat Avith loss, having got under the fire 
of the entrenched camp before Bayoune. The loss of the English 
and Portuguese, for the Spanish loss is never returned, amounted 
on this day to 80, hors de combat. 

The entrenched camp of the French army before Bayonne is 
represented by Lord Wellington as impregnable while occupied 
by an army in force. Ever since the battle of Vittoria, these 
works had been forming and strengthening by all the means 
which the most consummate skill and the most indefatigable 
labour could bring to have effect. The entrenched camp appears 
to be under fire of the works of the city of Bayonne, the right 
rests upon the Adour and the front in this part is covered by a 
morass occasioned by a rivulet Which falls into the Adour. The 
right of the centre rests upon the same morass, aud its left upon 
the river Nive. The left is between the Nive and the Adour, 
resting upon the Adour. The French at this time had their ad- 



407 



vanced posts from their right, in front of Auglet and towards 
Biaritz. With their left they defended the river Nive, and com- 
municated with General Paris's division of the army of Ca- 
talonia, which was at St. Jean de Pied de Port, and they had 
a considerable corps cantoned in Ville Franche and Monguerre. 
Lord Wellington deemed it imposssible to attack Marhal Soult 
while he remained in force in this position. He had determined 
to pass the JNTive immediately after he had passed the Nivelle, 
but was prevented by the bad state of the roads and the swelling 
of the rivulets, owing to the great fall of rain, but the weather 
and the roads having at length enabled the army to collect ma- 
terials and make the necessary preparations for forming bridges 
over the river, Ins lordship determined no longer to delay the 
advance of his troops, and ordered them out of their cantonments 
on the 8th of December. 

Orders were given that the right of the army, uuder Lieute- 
nant General Sir Rowland Hill, should, on the 9th of December, 
pass the river, at and near Carabo, while Marshal Sir William 
Beresford should favour and support his operations, by passing 
the sixth division under Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton, 
at Ustaritz. Both these movements were made with complete 
success. The French were driven from the right bank of the 
river, and retired towards Bayonne by the jjreat road of St. Jean 
de Pied de Port. Those posted opposite Cambo were nearly in- 
tercepted by the 6th division, and one regiment was driven from 
the road and forced to march across the country. 

The French troops assembled in considerable force on a range 
of heights running parallel with the Adour, and still keeping Ville 
• Franche by the right. The eighth Portuguese regiment, under 
Colonel Douglass, and the 9th cacadores, under Colonel Brown, 
and the English light infantry battalions of the 6th division 
attacked and carried Ville Franche and the heights in the neigh- 
bourhood. 

The rain which had fallen in the night of the 7th and morning 
of the 8th, had so destroyed the roads, that the day had nearly 
elapsed before the whole of Sir Rowland Hill's corps had come 



408 

up, and the great commander of the allies was obliged to be sa- 
tisfied with the ground which he occupied by these movements. 

While the above mentioned operations were going forward, 
Lieutenant General Sir John Hope Avith the left of the army 
under his command, moved forward by the great road of St. 
Jean de Luz towards Bayonne, and reconnoitred the entrenched 
camp and the course of the Adour below the town, after driving 
the French posts from Briaritz aud Auglet. The light division 
under Major General Alten also moved forward from Baa- 
suassary and reconnoitred that part of the French eutrenchment. 
These forces retired the same day to the ground they had pre- 
viously occupied. 

On the morning of the 10th of December Lieutenant General 
Sir Rowland Hill fouud that the French had withdrawn from 
the position which they had occupied the day before on the 
heights, and had gone into the entrenched camp on that side of 
the Tvive ; he therefore occupied the position, with his right 
towards the Adour and his left at Ville Franche, and communi- 
cating with the centre of the army under Sir William Beresford, 
by a bridge laid over the Nive, and the troops of Marshal Be- 
resford were again drawn to the left of the Nive. 

General Morillo's division of Spanish infantry was placed at 
Ureary, and Colonej Vivian's brigade of light dragoons at Has- 
parren, in order to observe the movements of the French division 
under General Parts, which, upon the passage of the Nive by the 
allies, had retired towards St. Palais. 

On the morning of the 11th of December Marshal Soult 
marched his whole army out of their entrenched camp, leaving 
only a sufficient force to occupy the works opposite to Sir Row- 
land Hill's position. The French advanced upon Sir John 
Hope's corps, and, after driving in the piquets, made a most des- 
perate attack upon the English posts, both of Sir Rowland Hill 
and Sir John Hope. The contest was long and sanguinary, espe- 
cially at the posts of Sir John Hope, but the French were finally 
obliged to withdraw their troops, leaving 500 prisoners and a 
number of slain. The loss of the allies was likewise very severej 



409 

particularly among the Portuguese of the first brigade, who borfc 
the brunt of the action on the part of Sir John Hope's advanced 
post, and among the troops of Robinsou's brigade of the fifth di- 
vision, which moved up to their support. 

This attempt of Marshal Soult by an attack upon Lord Wel- 
lington's left to make him draw in his right had now completely 
failed ; and soon after the attack ceased, two Austrian regiments, 
in the French service, came over to the posts of Major General 
Ross's brigade, of the 4th division, and surrendered themselves 
on condition of being sent home. 

The French army continued all night close upon the front of. 
the allies, occupying the ground from which they had driven in 
the piquets, and on the morning of the 12th of December the 
attack was recommenced on Lord Wellington's left, and the 
bloody conflict was continued, though not so furiously as on the 
preceding day, until the afternoon, when the French marshal 
withdrew his troops, and that night retired entirely within hi£ 
entrenched camp. 

Lord Wellington's knowledge of his adversaiy and the science, 
of destruction, induced him to order Marshal Sir William Beres- 
ford to reinforce Lieutenant General Sir Rowland Hill, by de. 
taching the sixth division to his aid, foreseeing that Marshal 
Soult would make his next attack in that quarter. And so it 
was. On the night of the 12th the French commander passed 
a large force through Bayonne, with which, in the morning of 
the 13th, he made a most desperate attack upon Sir Rowland 
Hill. 

Here against an inferior general Soult would have succeeded • 
but Wellington had provided for the foreseen exigency, and his 
adversary was again foiled. 

Beside the 6th division, Lord Wellington reinforced General 
Hill, afterwards, by the fourth division, and two brigades of the 
second. 

The expected arrival of ti.. reinforcements gave Sir Rowland 

Hill great facility in making his movements; and the troops under 

his immediate command had nearly repulsed the assailants before 

succour arrived. The principal attack having been made alon? 

52 



410 

the high road from St. Jean Pied de Port, Barnes's brigade of 
English infantry, and the 5th Portuguese brigade, were engaged 
in the hottest of the contest. The Portuguese brigade under 
Mariscal del Campo Don F. le Cor, moved up to their sup- 
port in a very gallant style, and regained an important position 
between these troops and Major General Pringle's brigade, 
which was engaged with the French in front of Villa Franche. 
The French had likewise gained a height ou the right of Sir 
Rowland Hill's positions, from which they were driven byByng's 
brigade, supported by the fourth Portuguese brigade. Here the 
contest was severe, but the French, notwithstanding several des- 
perate efforts, could not regain this position. 

With the loss of two guns and a few prisoners, the French re- 
tired to their entrenchments, foiled in every attempt upon the 
positions of Marshal Wellington, after having evinced a most 
determined valour, and only to be exceeded by the firmness and 
skill of their adversaries. In these repeated attacks and re- 
pulses, and daily repetitions of carnage, the English account of 
the losses of the allied army, acknowledges between 3 and 4,000, 
and states that of the French to amount to 10 or 12,000. 



411 



SECTION XIII. 



Retrospective glance — Napoleon Bonaparte releases the King of Spain and 
makes a treaty with him — The regency and corteB take measures to 
guard against the machinations of the French emperor — Movements of 
Lord Wellington's army in December, 1813— Lord Wellington drives the 
French from their positions in January, 1814— Advance of the allies upon. 
Bayonne in February — The right of Lord Wellington's army is established 
on the Gave d'Oleron— A Hies continue to advance— Battle of Orthes — 
The French completely defeated — Passage of the A dour below Bayonne 

Lord Wellington slightly wounded— Result of the battle of Orthes— Sir 

Rowland Hill defeats a French corps at Aire— Marshal Sir William Beres- 
ford takes possession of Bordeaux by order of Lord Wellington— Defec- 
tion of the department of La Landes from Bonaparte— Paris taken pos- 
session of by capitulation, and entry of the Emperors of Russia and Austria 
into that capital— Conclusion. 



WHEN the enormous power of imperial France, guided by 
the enormous ambition of Napoleon, was broken against the ice 
and iron of the " frightful climate" of Russia, and the despot of the 
south fled before the despot of the north, the world hailed with 
acclamations the auspicious day which gave assurance that all 
projects of universal empire are but dreams. 

The efforts of so great a man as Napoleon Bonaparte to resist 
the ebbing tide of his fortunes, produced struggles, which, for a 
time, seemed to render the fate of Europe dubious; but the 
Russian power rolled on from the north, and, like the child's mass 
of snow propelled from the hill-top, gathered matter, and weight, 
and impulse, in its progress. The Autocrat of Russia, at whose 
nod millions of slaves tremble or die, becomes the real champion 
of the liberty of nations, and is joined in his career of victory 
by the herd of tyrants whom the French despot had vanquished, 
and robbed, and spared, or created kings as ministers of his iron 
rule, in his former course of blood and triumphs. 



422 

To resist this ovenv helming force Napoleon opposed efforts of 
skill becoming his gigantic character, yet altogether unavailing. 
These efforts, as Ave have seen, by withdrawing power from the 
war of the Peninsula, gave efficacy to the skill, and valour, and 
prudence of the Marquis of Wellington. 

Forced to retire within the boundaries of the Rhine, and look- 
ing anxiously for resources agaiust his northern and southern 
invaders, the Emperor of France turns his thoughts on his cap- 
tive king, Don Ferdinando, and with that mean cunning, which 
seems equally with audacious effrontery to mark the European 
diplomacy of the day, he releases him from his bondage, ac- 
knowledges him King of Spain, (King Joseph notwithstanding,) 
and still having him in his power, makes a treaty of peace and 
amity with him, by which he is to restore him to his crown and 
home, and Ferdinand is to send home the English and Portuguese, 
as well as recall his Spaniards out of France.* 

• Treaty of Peace and Friendship between King Ferdinand VIL and 
Bonaparte. 

His Catholic Majesty Ferdinand the Vllth. King of Spain and the Indies, 
and his majesty the timperor of France, King of Italy, protector of the 
Rhenish confederacy, and mediator of that of Switzerland, hoth equally de- 
sirous of putting an end to the calamities of war, and adjusting a definitive 
treaty of peace between the two powers, have appointed plenipotentiaries for 
the purpose, as follows : 

His majesty Ferdinand the Vnth. has appointed Don Joseph Michael Car- 
vajal Duke of St- Charles, Count of Puerto, grand master of ports of Indies, 
grandee of Spain, great steward of the king's household, lieutenant general 
of his armies, chamberlain in employment to his majesty, great cross and 
commander of several orders of knighthood, &c. &c. 

His majesty the emperor and king has appointed the Chevalier An- 
thony uenatus Charles Mathurin, Count of Laforest, and of his imperial 
council of state, grand officer of the legion of honour, great cross of the im- 
perial order of reunion, &c. &c. 

Who, having exchanged their respective full powers, did agree in the fol. 
lowing articles : 

1. There shall be in future, and from the ratification of this treaty, a per- 
fect peace and friendship between his majesty Ferdinand the Vllth. and his 
successors, and his majesty the emperor and king, and his successors. 

2. All hostilities by sea and laud shall cease in their respective dominions. 



413 

This, like many other of the acts and declarations of the rulers 
•f the earth, appears like a very silly attempt at deception. Was 
it expected by Bonaparte that the Spanish government, newly or- 
ganized, and aware both of his intentions for their future condition, 

to wit, in those of the continent of Europe immediately after the ratification 
of this treaty ; fifteen days after in the seas which bathe the coasts of Europe 
and Africa on this side the equator ; and two months after in the seas and 
countries situated at the east of the Cape of Good Hope. 

3. His majesty the emperor and king does acknowledge Ferdinand the 
VHth. and his successors, according to the order of succession established by 
the fundamental law of Spain and the Indies. 

4. His majesty the emperor and king does likewise acknowledge the in- 
tegrity of the territory of Spain, such as it was before the war. 

5. The provinces and fortified places now in (he power of the French troops 
' shall be delivered up, in the same state and condition in which they shall be 

found, to the Spanish governors and troops sent by his majesty Ferdinand the 
Tilth, to take possession thereof. 

6. His majesty the King Ferdinand does oblige himself to maintain, on his 
own part, the integrity of the territory of Spain, as well as the isles, garrisons, 
towns and fortresses adjacent to it, chiefly those of Mahon and Ceuta. He 
in the same manner obliges himself to cause the provinces, fortified places, 
and territory, occupied by the governor and army of the Bxitish nation, to be 
altogether evacuated by them. 

7. A military convention shall be agreed to by our commissioners, one 
French and the other Spanish, to the end that the evacuation of the Spanish 
provinces, occupied either by the French or British, should be simultaneously 
carried into execution. 

8. His majesty Ferdinand VII. and his majesty the emperor and king, do 
both oblige themselves reciprocally to maintain the independence of their 
maritime rights, such as stipulated in the treaty of Utrecht, and as both 
powers had maintained them till the late year 1792. 

9. All Spaniards addicted to King Joseph, and who obtained military or 
civil offices in Spain, and followed him, shall be restored to all their honours, 
rights and prerogatives ; and all their estates and property shall be restored 
to them : Those who, perhaps, will establish themselves out of Spain, shall 
be allowed the space of ten years to sell their estates and property, and to 
take the necessary measures for their establishment abroad. Whatever rights 
they may have to future successions, shall be preserved inviolable in their 
favour ; and they shall be allowed to enjoy their propex-ty and estates, and tr> 
dispose thereof at liberty, without being subject in any way to the right of the 
exchequer, to that of retraction, or any other whatever. 



414 

and of the miseries inflicted on the nation by former misrule, 
would blindly resign themselves either to him or to his new 
friend Ferdinand ? Or could he expect that Ferdinand, restored 
to liberty and a crown, would forgive former treachery and 
injurjr ? — Neither. He might, perhaps, hope to restore to the 
Spaniards a king deprived of their confidence, and excite civil 
discord by which hereafter to profit, and, perhaps, to increase 

10. All property, whether moveable or immoveable, belonging in Spain to 
French or Italian individuals, shall be restored to them in such a condition as 
they enjoyed them before the war. All property belonging to Spaniards, which 
had been sequestrated or confiscated in France or Italy, shall likewise be re- 
stored to them. Commissioners shall be appointed on both sides to clear up 
and regulate whatever difficulties and contentions sbould arise in the matter 
between French, Italian, and Spanish subjects ; should those difficulties and. 
contentious imply a discussion of interests previous to the war, or any other 
whatever after it. 

11. The prisoners taken by each nation shall be restituted, whether they 
should exist in the depots, or under the service of some power ; unless they, 
immediately after the restoration of peace, should declare, before a commis- 
sioner of their nation, that they will continue under the service of the power 
to which they were engaged. 

12. The garrison of Pampeluna, as well as the prisoners existing at Cadiz, 
Corunna, isles of the Mediterranean sea, and every other depot, who have 
been delivered up to the British, shall be likewise restored, whether they may 
exist in Spain, or have been sent to America. 

13. His majesty the King Ferdinand does oblige himself, besides, to pay 
every year to King Charles the I Vth. and to the queen his wife, a million.and 
a half of dollars, which shall exactly be delivered up to them by quarters, a 
respective sum every three mouths. From the death of King Charles, two 
millions of livres (twenty pence French each livre) shall be paid to the queen 
for her widowhood. All the Spaniards who may be in the domestic service 
of King Charles and the queen his wife, shall be at liberty to reside out of the 
Spanish territory so long as their majesties shall think it convenient. 

14. A treaty of commerce shall be adjusted between the two powers; and 
in the mean while, all their commercial relations shall remain on the same 
footing as before the war of 1 792. 

1 5. The present treaty shall be ratified at Paris in the space of one month, 
or sooner if possible. 

Stipulated and signed at Valencey, the nth of December, i8l3. 

THE DUKE OF SAINT CHARLES 
THE COUNT OF LAFOREST. 



415 

their jealousy against their heretical English deliverers. At most, 
it appears the effort of a losing gamester. 

The Spanish regency and cortes received the treaty, on its 
promulgation, with all that distrust which was its due, and im- 
mediately took measures to guard themselves against its effects 
and the arts of their arch enemy. They passed a decree, by 
which all the acts of Ferdinand were made nugatory, not only 
while in the power of France, but until he had taken the oaths 
prescribed by the new constitution ; they appointed officers and 
guards to receive him on his entering Spain, and prohibited the 
entrance of all Frenchmen or partisans of France with him — in 
short, they provided, by every means which prudence or jea- 
lousy could suggest, for the safeguard of the constitution and the 
peace of the nation. 

Lord Wellington was in the mean time taking all those pre- 
cautionary steps which insure success as he advanced within the 
French territory. The inhabitants of Baygorey were noted in 
the late war for their opposition to the Spanish troops, and they 
were the only persons who now manifested any disposition to op- 
pose the allies. General Mina was stationed, by Lord Welling- 
ton, with three battalions of his troops at Bidarry and at St. 
Etienne de Baygorey in observation of the movements of the 
French from St. Jean Pied de Port. Notwithstanding these 
measures to overawe and keep them quiet, the inhabitants of 
BidaiTy and Baygorey joined the standard of General Harispe, 
who, with this force and the division of the army of Catalonia, 
under General Paris, and such troops as could be collected from 
the garrison of St. Jean Pied de Port, moved on the 12th of 
December upon the troops of General Mina's division, and drove 
them into the valley of the Aldudes. 

For the remainder of the month of December, the armies under 
the command of the Marquis of Wellington seem to have re- 
mained quietly in their positions, the French making no move- 
ments until the 3d of January, 1814, when, having collected a 
considerable force on the Gave, they attacked and drove in the 
cavalry piquets of the allies, between the Joyeuse and the 



416 

Bidouse rivers, and attacked the post of General Buchan's bri- 
gade on the heights of La Costa, obliging him to retreat towards 
Briscons. Marshal Soult established two divisions of infantry 
on the height and in La Bastide, with the remainder of his 
army on the Bidouse and the Gave. 

Lord Wellington immediately concentrated his centre and 
right, and prepared to move. His lordship, having reconnoitred 
his enemy's force on the 4th of January, formed his plan of at- 
tack with his usual promptitude, and made preparations for 
battle, to be carried into operation on the 5th, but the rain, which 
fell in torrents and swelled the rivulets, deferred his movements 
until the 6th. 

On the 6th of January the attack was made by the 3d and 4th 
divisions, under the command of Lieutenant General Sir Thomas 
Picton, and Lieutenant General Sir Lowry Cole, supported by 
the Portuguese division under General Buchan, and the cavalry 
of General Le Cor. The French retreated without contesting 
the positions, and the posts of the allies were replaced on the 
ground from which they had been driven. 

On the morning of the 21st of January the French withdrew all 
their outposts in front of the entrenched camp before Bayonne, 
between the Adour and the left of the Nive, and General 
Harispe's troops from Bidarry and Baygorey marched towards 
the centre of Soult's army. 

Lord Wellington, notwithstanding the movements above men- 
tioned, may be said not to have commenced the campaign of 1814 
until the middle of February, at which time the allied powers of 
the north had gained firm footing in France, and, although some- 
times checked in their course, had progressed towards the object 
of their destination— the proud and guilty city of Paris— -with a 
power adequate to the great end in view. 

The object of Lord Wellington with the allies of the south, 
appears to have been Bordeaux, and such general cooperative 
measures as should tend to the great object, not yet avowed, of 
dethroning the Emperor of the French and restoring the exiled 
Bourbons. The operations of Marshal Wellington commenced 



417 

•with the advance of his right wing, under Sir Ro wland Hili> 
against the French positions on the Joyeuse river. The French 
piquets were driven in at that post, and General Harispe forced 
to retire from his positions at Hellette to St. Martin. At the same 
time, part of General Mina's Spanish troops formed the blockade 
of St. Jean Pied de Port. 

On the 15th of February Sir Rowland Hill pursued the re- 
sating army to Garris, where General Harispe was joined to 
General Paris's division, which had been recalled from its march 
from the interior. On this day the second English division, 
under Sir William Stewart, and the Spanish division of General 
Murillo, attacked and drove the French with loss from their po- 
sition near St. Palais. During the night the retreating army 
crossed the Bidouse. 

On the 16th Sir Rowland Hill crossed the Bidouse in pur- 
suit, and the next day forced the French to cross the Gave de 
Mouleon, and the retreat and pursuit were continued until 
the 18th, on which day Lord Wellington saw the right of his 
army established on the Gaved'Oleron. 

The commander in chief then returned to his left, under the 
command of Sir John Hope, which, in accordance with a bold 
conception of the marshal, was destined to cross the Adour, be- 
tween Bayonne and the sea, by the aid of the maritime force 
under Admiral Penrose. 

On the 21st of February Lord Wellington ordered the 6th 
and light divisions of his army to break up the blockade of 
Bayonne, and General Don Manual Freyre to close up the canton- 
ments of his corps towards Iran, and to be prepared to move 
when the left of the army should cross the Adour. 

On the 23d Field Marshal Sir William Beresford attacked 
the French in their fortified positions at Hastiogues and Over- 
gave, on the left of the Gave de Pau, and obliged them to retire 
within the tete du pont at Peyrehorade. 

Sir Rowland Hill passed the Gave d'Oleron at Villenave, on 
the 24th ; and Marisco de Campo Don Pablo Murillo drove it. 
the enemy's posts near Pfoverrens, and blockaded that place. 
53 



418 

Immediately alter the passage of the Gave d'Oleron was ef- 
fected, Sir Rowland Hill and Sir Henry Clinton moved towards 
Orthes, and the great road leading from Sauveterre and that 
town. The French retired in the night from Sauveterre, across 
the Gave de Pau, and assembled their army near Orthes, on the 
25th, having destroyed all the bridges on the river. 

The right and right of the centre of Lord Wellington's army 
assembled opposite Orthes. Lieutenant General Sir Stapleton 
Cotton, with Lord E. Somerset's brigade of cavalry, and the. 
third division under Sir Thomas Picton was near the destroyed 
bridge oi" Bereus; and Field Marshal Sir William Beresford, 
with the 4th and 7th divisions under Generals Cole and Walker, 
and Colonel Vivian's brigade, was posted towards the junction 
of the Gave de Pau with the Gave d'Oleron. 

The troops opposed to Marshal Beresford having marched on 
the 25th, he the next day crossed the Gave de Pau, below the 
junction of the Gave d'Oleron, and moved along the high road 
from Peyrehorade towards Orthes, on the right of the French. 
As he approached, Sir Stapleton Cotton with the cavalry, and 
Sir T. Picton with the 3d division, crossed below the bridge of 
Bereus. Lord Wellington moved the 6th and light divisions to 
the same point, and Sir Rowland Hill occupied the heights 
opposite Orthes and the high road leading to Sauveterre. 

The sixth and light divisions crossed the Adour on the morn- 
ing of the 27th at daybreak, accompanied by Lord Wellington, 
who found his adversary strongly posted near Orthes, with his 
right on the heights on the road to Dax, and occupying the vil- 
lage of St. Boes, and his left stationed on the heights above 
Orthes, and occupying that town, opposing Sir Rowland Hills 
passage of the river. 

Marshal Sir William Beresford attacked and carried the vil- 
lage of St. Boes, with the 4th division under the command of 
Sir IiOwry Cole, after an obstinate resistance. The attack upon 
the heights was not so successful. Major General Ross and Bri~ 
gadier General Yasconccllo, with his Portuguese brigade, found 
the ground so narrow that the troops could not deploy for the 



419 

attack, and Lord Wellington found that it was impossible to turn 
the French army by their right without an excessive extension of 
his line ; he therefore promptly altered his plan of attack, so far 
as to order the immediate advance of the 6th and third divisions, 
and to move forward Colonel Barnard's brigade of the light 
division to attack the left of the heights on which the enemy's 
right stood. 

This attack was led by the 52d regiment, under Lieutenant 
Colonel Colborne, and supported on their right by Major Gene- 
ral Brisbane's and Colonel Keats's brigades of the 3d division, 
and by simultaneous attacks on the left by Major General Anson's 
brigade of the 4th division, on the right by Lieutenant General 
Sir Thomas Picton, with the remainder of the 3d division, and 
the 6th division under Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton. 
The enemy was dislodgt-d from the heights after a bloody conflict 
and victory again declared for the allies and for Wellington. 

In the mean time Sir Rowland Hill had forced the passage 
of the Gave above Orthes, and, seeing the state of the battle, 
moved immediately with the 2d division of infantry under Sir 
William Stewart, and Fane's brigade of cavalry, direct for the 
great roads from Orthes to St. Sever, thus keeping upon the left 
of the French army. 

The French troops retired at first in admirable order, taking 
every advantage of the numerous good positions which the coun- 
try afforded. The losses, however, which they sustained in the 
continued attacks of the pursuing army, and the danger with 
which they were threatened by Lieutenant General Sir Row- 
land Hill's movements, soon accelerated their retreat into a flight, 
and their troops were thrown into the utmost confusion. 

Lieutenant General Sir Stapleton Cotton took advantage of 
the only opportunity which offered, to charge with Lord Edward 
Somerset's brigade, in the neighbourhood of Sault de Navailles, 
where the retreating troops had been driven from the high road 
by Sir Rowland Hill. The charge of the cavalry was successful, 
and many prisoners made. 

The pursuit was continued until it. was dusk, when the com- 



420 

wander in chief ordered his victorious army to halt in the neigh 
bourhood of Sault de Navailles. 

In Lord Wellington's despatch, dated March 1st, 1814, he says — 
" I cannot estimate the extent of the enemy's loss : we have taken 
six pieces of cannon and a great many prisoners, the number I 
cannot at present report. The whole country is covered by 
their dead. Their army was in the utmost confusion when I 
last saw it passing the heights near Sault de Navailles, and 
many soldiers had thrown away their arms. The desertion has 
since been immense. Lieutenant General Sir Rowland Hill has 
moved upon Aire, and the advanced posts of the centre are at 
Casares. The enemy are apparently retiring upon Agen, and 
have left open the direct road towards Bordeaux." 

In this the last victory which I shall have to record in my present 
work, the last battle probably which the illustrious subject of my 
labours will fight before the overthrow of the power of Napoleon, 
he, who in so many well-fought fields had escaped untouched by 
the messengers of death, was twice on the very brink of eternity. 
Early in the day he was for a moment stunned by the wind of a 
cannon ball, which passed close by him ; and in the course of the 
action, while giving orders to his Spanish aid-de-camp, he was 
struck on the side by a nearly-spent musket ball. His lordship 
immediately said " I am hit," and in fact the contusion was so 
great as to produce a momentary sickness, and would have pro- 
duced greater injury but for the thickness of the sword belt. 
When the service of the day was over it became necessary to 
assist him in dismounting from his horse ; but the next day he ap- 
peared in the field at his usual early hour to the inexpressible 
joy of his army. 

Whilst the operations which I have detailed above were carry- 
ing on by the right of Lord Wellington's army, Lieutenant Gene- 
ral Sir John Hope, in concert with Rear Admiral Penrose, trans- 
ported the left of the army across the Adour below Bayoune, 
and took possession of both banks of the river at its mouth. 

The French, conceiving that the means of crossing the river 
which Sir John Hope had at his command had not enabled him 



421 

to crass a large force in the course of the 22d, attacked on that 
evening the corps which he had sent over, but were repulsed 
with loss. 

On the 25th of February Sir John Hope invested the citadel 
of Bayonne, and General Freyre moved forward with the fourth 
Spanish army. On the 27th Sir John Hope, deeming it expe- 
dient to invest the citadel of Bayonne more closely, attacked 
the village of St. Etienne, which he carried, and established his 
outposts within nine hundred yards of the outworks of the 
French. 

The result of these various operations were, the investment of 
Bayonne ; St. Jean Pied de Port and Navarrens ; the passage of 
the Adour; the possession of all the great communications 
across the river ; a free route to Bordeaux ; possession of the 
French magazines ; and the total discomfiture of the opposing 
army. The price paid for all these advantages by the allies is 
estimated by English journals at about 4,000 put hors de combat. 

The French had collected a corps at Aire for the purpose of 
protecting the evacuation of a magazine which they had at that 
place ; but Sir Rowland Hill on the 2d of March attacked them, 
drove them from their post with loss, and gained possession of the 
town and magazine. Lord Wellington soon after established his 
head quarters at Aire. 

The rains were so violent, and the rivers, consequently, so in- 
creased, that the operations of the allied armies were suspended 
for some days. Iu the mean time the French, after the affah 
with Sir Rowland Hill on the 2d, retired by both banks of the 
'Adour towards Tarbes, with a view of receiving reinforcements 
from Marshal Suchet's army, which left Catalonia, in the last 
week in February. 

Lord Wellington ordered a detachment under Major General 
Fane to take possession of Pau ; and another under Marshal Sir 
William Beresford to take possession of Bordeaux. 

On the 12th of March Sir William Beresford approached 
Bordeaux, and was met by the mayor and citizens, who hailed 
his approach with acclamations, and taking off" the eagles a*fid 






422 



other badges of their servitude to Napoleon, substituted the old 
badge of the white cockade, the token of submission to the 
Bourbons. 

The citizens, universally, gave every demonstration of joy, 
and not only Bordeaux, but the whole department of La 
Landes, assumed the white cockade, and declared in favour of 
Louis XVIII. 

We thus see accomplished the purposes for which Lord Wel- 
lington was intrusted with the command of the armies of England, 
Portugal, and Spain, the complete deliverance of the Peninsula 
from the power of France; and more, a most efficient coopera- 
tion with the allied powers of the north to overthrow the power 
of Bouapnrte. Whilst the legions of Russia, Prussia, and Aus- 
tria, are holding their steady course to the centre of imperial 
power, Paris, Wellington, having annihilated opposition, and 
produced a defection of a whole department from the imperial 
standard, is left at liberty to march his army towards the same 
central point. 

On the 31st of March Paris capitulated, and was taken pos- 
session of by the Emperors of Russia and Austria. 

What stupendous events are these ! and what a lesson is this 
to overweening ambition ! That man who had either actually or vir- 
tually been in possession of every capital in Europe, saving Lon- 
don and Constantinople, sees the sovereigns of Moskow and 
Vienna lording it in Paris, himself an exile, threatened with ge- 
neral defection and consequent contempt. 

It is for the future historian, or the biographer who shall 
write the life of the most noble Marquis of Wellington after 
that life shall be extinguished, to give a character drawn from a 
more perfect knowledge of his private virtues and public actions 
than I possess. Mankind are ever prone to compare distinguished 
men with each other, and Wellington has been compared with hi* 
great ootemporaries, as Well as with former heroes. He has been 
compared with Nelson, but he is a far more perfect character at 
present than Nelson; he has been compared with Marlborough, 
and the points of similitude are many, but he has not attained 



423 

that high political consequence and character which the Duke 
of Marlborough enjoyed, nor stood so paramount among the mi- 
litary characters of his day. I will not look for fanciful like- 
nesses, nor endeavour to write a panegyric, or draw a character 
«of the hero of these pages ; let the reader look to the actions of 
Lord Wellington, and estimate his virtues and his talents, and then 
join with me in the wish, that they may be increased through 
a long life with increasing honours, but only be hereafter exerted 
to insure and adorn that peace, which, as I hope, he has so ma- 
terially aided in giving to the civilized world. 



THE END. 



